The Promise
by FlippyCat
Summary: Summary: Allen and Lavi are childhood friends, but Lavi moved away in the last year of elementary school. It's now 10th grade, and Allen hasn't seen or heard from him since. But there's an exchange student coming in, I wonder who that could be ? FLUFF OVERLOAD. Oh, it's Laven, by the way.
1. The Dream

**The Promise Chapter 1**

**Hey guys! First story I've done on this account. This story starts off as T, but that may be subject to change, if you guys want lemons or not. I hope that this story is a fluff overload; at least, that's what I'm going for. I love stories with happy endings. Though, I might have to change that… :D Okay! Getting down to business! This story is Laven, because that is my favorite pairing ever, and I think it's adorable. (My next favorite pairing is Shizaya, not that you guys care.) I hope you guys like!**

**Summary: Allen and Lavi are childhood friends, but Lavi moved away in the last year of elementary school. It's now 10th grade, and Allen hasn't seen or heard from him since. But there's an exchange student coming in, I wonder who that could be~? FLUFF OVERLOAD.**

**Warnings: Depressed Allen-chan and a dramatic character reveal. (Oh god, watched too much literal trailer. MEH.)**

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

"Why do you have to go?"

"It's not by choice. If I had any say in this, I'd be staying!"

"You promised we'd stay together forever!"

"I'm sorry Allen, I swear I'll come back. I'll call you as soon as the plane lands, okay?"

"Alright Lavi, but I'm holding you to this promise."

He smiles and hands me his favorite toy, a small winged sphere with a tail and a strange cross like design on the front. I look at it in wonder, and then shift my gaze back up. "You're giving me Tim?" I ask incredulously.

He smiles "I'm loaning him to you. I expect to get him back, and I'll only accept it from you. Got that?" I nod, and he starts fading.

I panic and reach for him, but my hand passes through his shoulder. His words ring in my head…

"I'm sorry Allen… I swear I'll come back…"

I sit up abruptly, panting and clutching my nightshirt. I wait for my racing heartbeat to slow down and look at the clock. In blindingly bright lights, it reads 5:58 A.M. I groan and lie back down.

I shut my eyes and try to attain sleep, but it eludes me. I can never fall asleep again after 'the dream'. Even after five long years, that night still haunts me. My regret is overwhelming. I could have done so much more to keep him here!

I sigh. It's no good to dwell on these thoughts. At least, that's what Reever says. He's my counselor at school. The alarm beeps and I'm startled out of my thoughts. I shut it off and stretch, looking around my bedroom.

It's dull, the only thing of color being the mahogany desk sitting in the corner. Everything else is in varying shades of grey, white, and black. I slide out from under the covers and onto the cold wooden floor.

I quickly get ready for school. Shower, get dressed, apply concealer to the scar on my face, pull on my gloves, and I'm all set. I slide my backpack on and leave the house at 7:30 on the dot. I catch the school bus on the corner of the street, ignoring the taunts thrown my way by various kids who go to my school. They aren't important, anyway. They didn't take the time to look past my white hair, and they're missing out. That's what Lenalee is always trying to convince me of.

_I wonder if _he_ would recognize me…?_ I think. My appearance _has_ changed quite a bit in the years we've been apart. I started covering up the scar on my face and my hair has turned white, most likely from all the stress of living with my master and losing him. He was always there to tether me to reality and sanity, but when he left, I only had Lenalee and Kanda, which isn't enough.

I jolt when a hand touches my shoulder. I give a sigh of relief when I realize that it's Lenalee. She slides in next to me and gives me a bright smile, which I return. "So, Allen. How are things going?" She asks. I open my mouth to answer, but it's cut short when I see Kanda jump on the bus, looking more pissed off than usual. He grumbles something I can't quite catch, it sounded a bit like 'devious Usagi?' I've no idea what that means. I don't speak Japanese.

He sits in front of us and gives me a death glare which softens slightly when he turns his gaze to Lenalee. "Lenalee. Moyashi." He grunts as a greeting. "My name is Allen, BaKanda!" I grumble while Lenalee giggles. Alright, let me rephrase that. I know a _little_ Japanese, but Usagi is not in my vocabulary. He rolls his eyes but pulls on his backpack.

After some idle small talk, the bus arrives at school. We shuffle off the bus and make our way through the crowd, which, surprisingly, isn't very difficult. There seems to be a menacing aura around Kanda, which makes everyone get out of his way. I silently thank him. He normally doesn't take the bus, but when he does, it means people don't bully me first thing in the morning.

The bell rings and we all file into the halls. I make my way to my locker, which is, luckily, close to all my classes. As I'm about to reach my locker, someone grabs the front of my coat and slams me into it. I let out a squeak, which makes my attacker laugh. I smile politely, and lightly touch the hand that is dangerously close to my neck. "Suman… How nice to see you this early in the – oomph!" My sentence is cut short as my head is bashed into the locker.

"Shut up, no one wants to hear your voice, Albino." He growls. I really can't say it enough how stupid that nickname is. If I were truly albino, my skin would be white, not just pale, and my eyes would be red, not like mercury. I smile weakly and nod, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head.

"Mr. Dark! Let go of that boy!" Yells a familiar voice. The grip on my coat relinquishes and I release a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Go to my office right now. You get a suspension for this." I hear Suman curse under his breath but he stalks off in the direction of the principal's office nonetheless. Suman's posse disperses and Komui runs up to me. "Allen, are you alright?" He asks, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I nod weakly and touch the bump that's forming on the back of my head. "I think so, principal." I say, and he frowns at me. "How many times do I have to tell you, call me Komui. I _am_ your friend. I just happen to be the principal too." I nod and run a hand down my face. When I look at Komui again he seems… blurry? And oh god, where did the floor go? And why is there a tunnel?

"Allen? Allen?" I hear Komui, but it sounds like he's far away. But the tunnel is getting smaller, so I let the blackness engulf me. Wonderful start to the week, if you ask me. Passing out in front of everyone, and causing Suman to get suspended. As if he needs another reason to hate me.

Nevertheless, I have a feeling that this week is going to be interesting.

* * *

**So… that was the first chapter. It was fun to write, though I'm really tired and I can't think straight, so I'm most likely going to look back on this and think "Well, this is shit, but I can work with it." That's what I do with most of my stories. I have many plot bunnies for this story, so expect an update soon. I needz a beta! Anyone willing?  
**


	2. Exchange student!

**Hey guys! I actually split the last chapter in two… so the dramatic character reveal is in this part! Hope you like it! The last chapter actually wasn't too bad…**

**Warning: Dramatic character reveal (for real this time)**

**Acknowledgements: A big thanks to my lovely reviewers Origami Lotus, Colorici74 and kh07gl! I can honestly say I wasn't expecting any reviews for the first chapter… and within ten hours, no less! A big thankies to you guys, and virtual muffins! Or cupcakes. Whichever you prefer. Though my dog might have eaten the muffins… he does love them.**

**Colorici74: Thank you! I think it was pretty good, but I was tired when I wrote it, so I though there would be more mistakes… guess not. Laven is my all-time favorite pairing, because I think it's just adorable. I like Yullen and Yuvi too, but Laven definitely takes the cake. (Even if the cake is a lie… I'm such a nerd.) That's why I chose it for this particular story… I wanted it to be so fluffy that you guys would drown in the fluff. Here's that update you asked for. :3**

**Origami Lotus: Thanks. I think it was good… considering I was falling asleep and all. The plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone, so I wrote it.**

**kh07gl: Thanks! Here's the next chapter!**

**I have enabled anonymous reviews! Please review if you're reading, it makes me happy and encourages me to write! On with the story!**

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that my limbs felt heavy, almost as though they were made of lead. I groaned, and I heard the 'whoosh' of someone walking to the side of the bed. Wait, bed? The last thing I remember was… Oh right. I passed out. Guess I'm in the nurse's office.

"Allen! Are you okay? Does your head feel alright? You passed out and Kanda had to carry you here! Too bad I'm – Ouch! My dear sweet Lenalee, why do you wound me so?" I opened my eyes and turned my head just in time to see Lenalee elbow Komui in the ribs.

"Put a sock in it brother. Allen, are you okay? We were all worried when you collapsed. Even Kanda. He's outside pacing right now. Even if he seems tough, he's really just a softie." She gave me a warm smile. I blinked and looked at the clock. 3rd period. I missed my P.E. class. That's a good thing. But I'm missing geometry… My favorite class…

I sit up, only to have Lenalee freak out and try to get me to lie back down. Kanda must have heard Komui from outside, so he walks around to the other side of my bed and sits in a conveniently placed chair. "Baka Moyashi." He says, but his voice is lacking it's usual venom. I guess he really was worried about me. That's a first.

"Kanda! He just woke up! Don't be so rude!" Lenalee scolds. I sigh and swing my legs over the bed, experimentally standing up and finding the blurriness gone. And the floor is still there, that's a good sign. Lenalee grabs my shoulder and steers me back to the bed.

I stare at it for a few seconds then look at her. "Lenalee, I'm alright. Really. I feel fine now, though I do have a slight headache. But I'm fine, I sware." I give her an encouraging smile. She looks unconvinced, but her hand drops from my shoulder nonetheless.

I turn to Komui. "Can I go back to class now?" I ask. He rubs his chin, looking deep in thought. He eventually nods, and I grab my backpack which someone so kindly placed next to my bed. I wave goodbye to everyone and walk to Mr. Mikk's room.

* * *

Geometry is completely, and utterly, boring. Our teacher, Tyki Mikk, is boring. Well, that's a lie. **(Like aforementioned cake…)** He's crazy. Maybe that's not the correct term… eccentric, maybe? That seems right. I'm not quite sure how he came to acquire a job at the Black Order Academy with his level of capability, but I'm glad he did. It just means that this class is easy. His unhealthy obsession with the number five makes it easy to complete the homework and class work… considering that's the answer to every question.

My gaze shifts from the blackboard which is quickly filling up with five's to out the window. I see a flash of red, and I quickly stand up to see what it was. _It could have been him! It could have been Lavi!_ I think. Mr. Mikk clears his throat. "Is everything alright, Mr. Walker?" He asks.

I search frantically for an excuse, but my brain is a jumble of thoughts and memories. "Not feeling well…" I mutter, and his expression goes from amused to concern. "Do you want someone to escort you to the nurse's office?" I shake my head and he looks confused. "Are you sure?" He asks. I nod my head and make my way to the door. "You can come back and grab your things whenever you like!" He calls as I shut the door.

I walk towards the infirmary, but then veer left towards a door leading outside. I run to the approximate area where I saw the flash, but whatever it was is long gone. I sigh and make my way to the nurse's office, looking defeated.

When I arrive, the head nurse approaches me. "I got a call from Mr. Mikk a few minutes ago saying you'd be here. What took you so long?" She demanded. I fumbled for an excuse. "Uh… I had to go to the bathroom… But I feel better now… I think the cold water did some good." I gave her a shaky smile and she grunted. "Alright then. I'll be sending you back if you don't need anything." I nodded and fled as fast as my legs would carry me.

* * *

The rest of class was uneventful. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. When I got to the cafeteria, Lenalee waved me over to our table. "Did you hear? Komui decided that school should be let off early today. Something about needing his beauty sleep…?" She turned to Kanda with the last words and he nodded. She looked back and gave me a wicked grin that terrified me. I definitely did _not_ want to see _that_ look again. "Apparently, our class is getting an exchange student!" Her smile morphed into a kind one. "Isn't that great?"

I nodded absently, but my gaze was fixed on a redhead that was standing in the crowd. Lenalee must have followed my gaze, because she made a noise of confusion. "I guess that must be him. We don't have anyone with hair_ that_ bright." He disappeared in the throng of people and I slowly looked back at my food. I noticed the smirk Kanda was trying to hide by stuffing his face with soba. "What's so funny, BaKanda?" I growl.

His smirk only widened and he shook his head. I glared at him, but eventually gave up and started eating my food. At least I only had one more class. That was health, with Ms. Lulubell.

* * *

Everyone was chattering about the new kid. I caught little snippets of conversation, but nothing really stood out. Mostly just people debating on whether he was a boy or girl, and what he looked like. I guess no one else saw him in the cafeteria, though that isn't surprising. Lots of people have strange colored or styled hair. Like Road Camelot, who has spiky blue hair. Or Kanda, or Lenalee, or even me. I'm the only one with white hair, surprisingly.

Lulubell walks in, and the class is immediately silent. She has a bit of a… reputation for being the strictest teacher in the entire school. Looks can be deceiving. Not that I care, of course. It's a well known fact around the school that I'm gay. It gets kind of creepy when random girls come up to you and ask if you know what yaoi is… that gets a bit awkward.

My train of thought is derailed when Lulubell clears her throat. Mimi, the student teacher, bounces up and down happily in her seat. Lulubell sighs and starts speaking. "As you all know, we have an exchange student. If any of you are rude to him, the entire class will be getting detention. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Ms. Lulubell." Everyone says in unison. See what I mean about strict? She claps her hands and the doors open, revealing the redhead from earlier. My heart stops. He gives a toothy grin and introduces himself. "My name's Lavi Bookman Jr. and it's nice to meet'cha." Lulubell points at me. "You will be sitting next to Allen Walker."

Looks like I was right about the week being interesting.

* * *

**And there's chapter two. I hope you guys like it! Please review! If you do, you get virtual muffins or cupcakes! :D**


	3. Passing Notes

**Haro guys~ I'm back again~ I know you all missed me sooo much~ XD anyways, my report card came back. I passed all my classes! Yay! And my granny got out of the hospital, not that I've said anything about that before… let me explain. She had a heart attack and went to the hospital. After they did the double-bypass, the wound got infected with what's basically just short of a flesh eating virus. Fun, right? Anyway, after a while the infection responded to the antibiotics, and it started going away. She still has a giant hole in her chest, but they're going to do a surgery to fuse her bone back together and stitch 'er up. So, all in all, she's doing way better. She's back in her apartment and taking care of herself, so that's a good sign.**

**Acknowledgements: A big thanks to all reviewers! You get muffins or cupcakes! And also thanks to others that are reading, if you are. I actually have no idea. :P**

**Happycafegirl: Yep.**

**Colorici74: I like to think it would be interesting. Even if Tyki is crazy… err… eccentric. *sweatdrops* Math does suck, even though I'm good at it. Lulubell _is_ pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. Yullen? *raises eyebrow* where did you see that? I didn't intend… wait. I lie. I do intend for there to be Yullen there… just not this early. That's a separate arc entirely. You'll have to wait and see what I'm talking about~**

**Aika-tan: I dunno. Whatever. I watched that episode like, two years ago. I remember something about the number five… and that's it. XD**

**Origami Lotus: That sounds like something I'd say. XDDD**

**kh07gl: Thanks. I like to write a lot, so I figure if I already have it written, why not post it? *mysterious voice* You shall see~ and I actually have no idea how long it's going to be. I'm guessing… 20-30 chapters maybe? IDK. I have multiple arcs planned out though… so this might take a while. XD**

**Warnings: I don't think there are any for this chapter… Maybe just a very mad Moyashi-Chan? Does that count?**

**Notice: So far, I have four Arcs planned out. I'm roughly halfway through the first one, and I have two more. Then I have the ending Arc. Though plot bunnies seem to be springing to life all over the place… So there will probably be many more Arcs.**

[These are notes from Lavi]

{These are notes from Allen}

* * *

_"Yes Ms. Lulubell." Everyone says in unison. See what I mean about strict? She claps her hands and the doors open, revealing the redhead from earlier. My heart stops. He gives a toothy grin and introduces himself. "My name's Lavi Bookman Jr. and it's nice to meet'cha." Lulubell points at me. "You will be sitting next to Allen Walker."_

_Looks like I was right about the week being interesting._

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

"Mr. Walker, please raise your hand."

I lift my arm, not realizing it's shaking. Lenalee must have noticed though, because she touches my shoulder. Mu gaze never once leaves Lavi. He looks exactly like I remember, just older. Same unruly red hair and green headband, eye patch, one piercing green eye, tan skin, and orange scarf. He always wears that mangy thing. It's summer time, for crying out loud! He smiles at me, and then I realize how much I missed him. And how angry I am. He left me all alone! He never _once_ called me, sent an email or even a letter!

I glare, and he shrinks back the smallest bit and his smile falters. Lulubell ushers him to the desk. When he sits down next to me, I ignore him and choose to look at the blackboard instead. He places a hand on my arm, and I hiss at him. **(Apparently Moyashi-Chan is a cat now?)** He cringes, but pulls his hand away. I look back at the teacher. She's naming the muscles in the back and neck. Boring. But it's a nice distraction from the sadness that seems to be radiating off of the redhead next to me.

_How _dare_ he be sad? _He's_ the one who left _me! I think. He really has no right to be sad. He left me all alone. (Okay, I have Lenalee, Kanda and Komui, but they can't help me much.) My anger is completely justified. He should have expected it. I snort, causing Lulubell to shift her gaze to me.

"Something funny, Mr. Walker?"

"Oh, not at all, Ms. Lulubell." I amend quickly. She turns back to the board and points to a muscle. "Care to name this, then?" It's faint, but I can see the corner of her lips lift up in an almost smirk. She reminds me of a cat. Like I'm her prey, and she's just toying with me.

"Oh, it's the latissimus dorsi muscle." I say. Her lips fold into a thin line.

"You are correct. Be sure to pay attention in my class." She says, perhaps a bit harshly. I nod and look at my textbook. I piece of paper is slipped onto the page. It says:

[Talk with me later?]

I scribble down a response quickly and pass it back.

{You have no right to waltz back into my life unannounced. After what you did, I shouldn't speak to you ever again.}

I feel his gaze on me, but I'm too busy finishing up the next note.

{But, you owe me an explanation, and I still have to give you that toy back. You're lucky my cat hasn't eaten it.}

When he reads it, he breathes a sigh of relief. Then he quickly writes something down.

[Could you wait for me by the school gates? I know a good café we could go to, to talk.]

{Are you asking me on a date?}

[I don't have that right.]

{Good thing you realize that. Because I would have said no.}

Out of the corner of my eye I see him give a sad smile and tuck his spiral back into his shoulder bag. I knew I'd feel guilty about this later, but right now, it felt good to hurt him a bit. I'd been suffering for the past five years. I didn't even know if he was alive or not. A Bookman's job _was_ dangerous. Bookmen work for the government. They record data on all terrorist movements. They're like the secret service, except, you know, actually secret. The only reason I know is because the drugs they gave me to forget all that didn't work. Only Lavi knows that they didn't work on me, so he doesn't have to hide himself. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what he and Bookman worked on, for my own safety, but if he let a detail slip every now and then he wouldn't have to fumble for an excuse.

So, yes, I worry. The job that he's training for _is_ life-threatening, after all.

The bell rings and everyone shuffles out of the room.

I guess it's time to talk with Lavi now.

* * *

**Why do I always write my chapters in the early hours of the morning? I tried to write at noon, but it was crap… but now, at 12:30, it's actually good. Maybe not understandable, but good. WTF is with that? Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! When I get three reviews I'll update. I already have the next chapter written out!**


	4. Revived Friendship

**Hey. It's nearly two A.M. and I should probably get to bed… Oh well. Later. I guess it would actually be considered early… not that it matters. Oh well. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Acknowledgements: I love you guys so much. :3 Five reviews in like, less than 12 hours? Thanks a lot~ It makes me really happy. Cupcakes to all that reviewed! :D  
**

**Sakura-chan: Thanks. It's my first fanfic on this account... and first MxM fanfic too. I'm trying my best! I know the feeling. -_-  
**

**Origami Lotus: Thanks. And I _did_ intend for that to happen... wouldn't you be furious if your best friend left for five years and made no form of contact? Then came back, without any warning? It was a bad day for it too. The school bully slammed your head into a locker and you have a big bump on the back of your head that throbs, so you're not really in a good mood. Especially not to deal with his hyperactive personality. Just pointing it out~ Thanks! I love your reviews so much. They always make me smile. :3  
**

**kh07gl: I noticed that after I wrote it... But I wanted it to end there for the mini-cliffie. I do love cliffies... XD *points above at my mini-rant at Origami Lotus* I think you might be a bit peeved too if that happened. Though Allen is pretty forgiving... I guess a little shocker is expected, though. :P You shall see this chapter. And here's the update you asked for~!  
**

**Hanashi o suru: :O Woah. I didn't know you read this story. Sorry if I sound weird, but I really liked Leaving Yu. XD you're kind of one of my idols on ff... wow. Now I just sound like a creepy fangirl. :P Will do. And here's an update~ read on!  
**

**Colorici74: Many thankies and another muffin to you. Oh~ Well, I didn't actually mean for there to be Yullen there... just Kanda being an awkward idiot and not knowing how to show that he cares. :P I've always thought that Kanda would be kind of awkward when dealing with his emotions... getting frustrated and maybe even a little insecure, though his pride would never let him admit to that. He would get easily frustrated and unsure how to continue~ then he'd just brush it off as though nothing happened~ At least, that's what I imagine Kanda being like. :P I like spicy things. (Says the child who's first solid food was curry.) :3 Nope. It appears to have worked. I got a C in that class 'cause I didn't turn homework in. My teacher said that I was really smart, though. Even when I didn't pay attention, I picked things up quickly. So... Yeah. I'm just glad I got a passing grade. Aw. I'm sorry about your Grandma... My Granny is just crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if she croaked sooner, rather than later. When she had the heart attack, she took a bus to the hospital. A freaking _bus._ That just proves there's something wrong with her head. Thankies! :D  
**

**Notice: In this part I'll give you the names of the Arcs I have planned…**

**Yullen? Arc!**

**He's my father? Arc!**

**Escapee Arc!**

**Rabid yaoi fangirl Arc!**

**Lavi's dead? (Ending) Arc!  
**

**Warnings: Flashbacks, Hypnotization, and an adorable Moyashi-Chan!**

**Hope you like~**

* * *

_Out of the corner of my eye I see him give a sad smile and tuck his spiral back into his shoulder bag. I knew I'd feel guilty about this later, but right now, it felt good to hurt him a bit. I'd been suffering for the past five years. I didn't even know if he was alive or not. A Bookman's job was dangerous. Bookmen work for the government. They record data on all terrorist movements. They're like the secret service, except, you know, actually secret. The only reason I know is because the drugs they gave me to forget all that didn't work. Only Lavi knows that they didn't work on me, so he doesn't have to hide himself. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what he and Bookman worked on, for my own safety, but if he let a detail slip every now and then he wouldn't have to fumble for an excuse._

_So, yes, I worry. The job that he's training for is life-threatening, after all._

_The bell rings and everyone shuffles out of the room._

_I guess it's time to talk with Lavi now._

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

It turns out the café Lavi was talking about was one that I used to work at. I quit because school started back up in the fall, but the owner said I could start again once school was out. I guess they like me.

Anyways, we were given a booth in the back for 'privacy'. I guess Ms. Lotto, our waitress, must have thought we were in a relationship… it's the thought that counts, right?

Lavi's sigh brings me back to the present. "Where should I begin?" He asks.

"Why you didn't call." I reply.

"Hypnosis."

"… Care to elaborate?"

Another sigh. "The Old Panda hypnotized me. He made me completely forget about you. This all happened when we got there, so I never got the chance. When I finally regained my memories, about two weeks ago, it was an accident. I overheard –"

"You were eavesdropping." I say bluntly.

"You know me too well. Anyways, I heard Bookman talking on the phone with Cross, and he asked how 'the boy' was doing. After that, I couldn't hear anything because he closed the door and I snuck away so I wouldn't get caught. I did a little research –"

"You snooped, didn't you?"

"Yes, alright? Would you stop interrupting?"

"Fine." I grumbled, unimpressed with his justification of not speaking to me for years.

"So, I looked through some of the Panda's files and found an article on you. From when your dad died. Then I looked through police files on the serial killer that did it. He's been caught, by the way. The Earl will never bother you again."

I must have had a shocked look on my face, because he smiled.

"H-how?" I ask. I've lived my entire life in fear of him returning and killing me too. When my father, Mana, was killed by him, the Earl marked me. That's why I have the scar. The marks are like a note. For each person that he marks, he returns later and kills them. It's like a reminder they're living on borrowed time. So how can something so evil just be gone? It can't be.

"He is. All the papers will be releasing the story in a couple days. You don't have to be afraid anymore." Right then the drinks arrived. Good. The caffeine will soothe my nerves. I sip my tea and peer over my cup at Lavi.

"Alright, I'm safe now. We can talk about that later. But, how did you get your memories back?"

"Oh, that took a while. I did a background check on Cross and came across you. I searched you too, and when I saw your picture, that's when I got my memories back. Then I told the panda that I was coming back, and he couldn't stop me. He came with me, actually. We're staying in a hotel until he can find us a place."

"So… why didn't you call me once you remembered?" I ask. He smirks.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Though I guess I picked a pretty bad day to surprise you… Kanda told me you got whacked pretty good. You feelin' okay?" I nod and he seems to accept that as answer. Truth is, my head is throbbing and I really just want to go home and sleep for a year. Good thing it's Friday.

"So, do you have any other questions?" He asks. I shake my head and down my tea.

"Alright… then do you mind if I ask you some?" I raise an eyebrow, but nod anyway.

"Okay, first off, why is your hair white?"

"My guess is the stress from everything. You leaving, Master, The Earl… guess I went a little crazy. I'm in counseling now though, and I take medication."

"What do you take medication for?"

"Antidepressants. I was pretty messed up after you left. Lenalee and Kanda helped a lot though."

"I see. So… do you want to try this friendship thing again?"

I look down at my teacup and think. _He… All this time… It wasn't his fault? I've been blaming the wrong person the entire time… What should I do? I owe him another chance, but after what he did, and all that anger I built up for years, I'm not sure I can do it… Oh, Mana! What should I do? _I look in his eye, which is filled with hope. My anger melts at the little smile of encouragement he gives me. Who could stay angry at him? I smile warmly.

"I do." His grin is impossibly wide as he stands up to come around the table and give me a bear hug.

"You won't regret this Allen, I promise!" I pull away from the hug and look at him.

"Okay, but if I don't feel comfortable with this, our friendship is over. Okay?" He nods his head vigorously and I smile. He really did want to see me.

Now all that's left is confirmation from Bookman, to prove his story is true.

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**Alright, that was chapter 4. You like? Please review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Embassy Suites

**Haro. 'Nuther chapter for all of you wonderful readers and reviewers~ Hope you enjoy! If only I could update my other stories as often as I do this one. -_- (Different account, BTW. One of the stories on that one is DGM and another is Soul Eater… If you guys wanna read 'em I can PM you the link. I don't think they're quite as good as this one though… :P Maybe that's just 'cuz I really like this story and on my other account I don't write pairings.)**

**Acknowledgements: Another big thank you to all reviewers! Muffins, cupcakes and cookies to you guys! And the cookies are about as big as your head. (Sorry. Got cookies on the brain. My mom works at a bakery and she brought me chocolate cookies… *drools* So yummy! I luvs cheesecake.)**

**Happycafegirl: I wouldn't say happy… excited, yes. But he _iz_ still mad at Bookman. I understand completely. A friend of mine came over to my house… we went to a candy shop, got an assortment of candy and soda… (one bottle of orange faygo, one bottle of grape faygo, two boxes of pocky, two boxes of candy cigarettes, one box of hello panda, one giant gummy bear, two harry potter chocolate frogs, milk chocolate and caramel drops, a flaky chocolate stick, and something else I can't remember) I got four hours of sleep that night. She would not shut up and kept me up 'til one A.M. chattering about her ex. Then she proceeded to wake me up at eight A.M. She's a blanket whore, so I kept waking up shivering. So, four hours of sleep. -_- Next time, she's sleeping in the spare bedroom.**

**Origami Lotus: He mostly just wants to see if what Lavi's saying is true, and possibly smack him for being such an a-hole. :P Indeed he is in prison. But remember… the 'Escapee' Arc… *smirks* I'll leave you to figure that out… not that it should take long. And yes, Laven should be coming up quickly. Next chapter, I believe. This Arc transfers into filler chapters for summer (there's only about a week left in school) and then into the Yullen? Arc… Guess what August 10th is! (That's a hint for why Allen and Kanda keep sneaking off!)  
**

**Hanashi o suru: I loved that story. :3 Ff can be annoying. If I want to read it again, I'll just go look on the site you moved it to. :P no bigge. Yeppers. Forgiveness is key in any relationship. Though, there are boundaries. There are some unforgivable things in a friendship… It wasn't Lavi's fault though, so they're buddies. Here's more~**

**Anon Novelist: I'm flattered! I like the concept of this story, but I don't think my writing is all that good… I guess that's how most people feel, though. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, (or is it commenting now…? Meh. Whatever.) I really appreciate it. I hope I live up to your expectations! Thanks. I actually had an idea of there being turbulence on the plane and something fell out of the cupboard thingies and hit Lavi on the head, but I scrapped that idea. Too repetitive. Allen already got banged on the head, so I figured hypnosis is a good option. I mean, he's Bookman. Of course he knows how to hypnotize people… right?**

**So… will you guys give me feedback on what you think of the Arcs I have planned? I mean, obviously they haven't happened yet, (duh) but will you guys tell me what you think will happen? It might give me some ideas… Evil ideas… :D Oh! And if you guys want smut, I can add it in. The Arcs that _could_ have smut are: Ending Arc, Rabid yaoi fangirl Arc, and Escapee Arc. Though I am plotting more Arcs for the time being… oh, btw, I've never written smut before. Ever. So it's probably gonna be not-so-great or downright horrible or maybe even mediocre… at best. I ramble too much… enjoy the chapter!**

**Warnings: OC (She's based off me… XD Sofie is based off my best friend. And those aren't our real names, though. It's from a really famous book and movie, starts with an S and ends with a T. It's got five letters. Care to guess?) and… I think that's it.**

* * *

_I look down at my teacup and think_. He… All this time… It wasn't his fault? I've been blaming the wrong person the entire time… What should I do? I owe him another chance, but after what he did, and all that anger I built up for years, I'm not sure I can do it… Oh, Mana! What should I do?_I look in his eye, which is filled with hope. My anger melts at the little smile of encouragement he gives me. Who could stay angry at him? I smile warmly._

_"I do." His grin is impossibly wide as he stands up to come around the table and give me a bear hug._

_"You won't regret this Allen, I promise!" I pull away from the hug and look at him._

_"Okay, but if I don't feel comfortable with this, our friendship is over. Okay?" He nods his head vigorously and I smile. He really did want to see me._

_Now all that's left is confirmation from Bookman, to prove his story is true._

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

As we walked to the hotel Lavi was staying at, he told me all about where he'd been the past five years. Apparently, he and Bookman had been traveling all over South America gathering information on the Noah group's movements. Oh, I forgot to mention, the Earl was one of the top assassins in the Noah. But now he's locked away in prison, so I'm safe.

Anyway, Bookman and Lavi got along as well as always. Constant bickering, usually involving pummeling Lavi a few times during their conversations. At that, Lavi rubbed his forehead.

"While I was getting ready for school this morning, the damn Panda hit me and my head whacked on the table. I'm still sore from that!" He said, anger coloring his voice. I giggled and looked forward.

"Is that where you're staying?" I ask while pointing to an Embassy Suites hotel.

"Yep. Room 147." He says. We walk through the doors and make our way to the elevator. I have to dodge a group of screaming girls that appear to be on there way to the indoor pool… if their bikinis are any indication. One bumps into me and knocks me into Lavi, who also slips on the smooth floor and we all tumble down in a mess of limbs and bruises.

"Ow! Dammit, Sofie! Why'd you hafta shove me?" The girl yelled at one of her friends. She had a round face and what used to be boy-short red hair, though it faded into a coppery sort of orangey-red and pink. And dark roots were showing. She had a pair of grey goggles around her neck. She had a dark purple towel wrapped around her, though I could see blue straps from her bathing suit and a pair of swimming shorts to match. Guess she's a tomboy. She turned to me and I saw her eyes were Asian, but if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't have noticed. They were a dark brown, nearly black, and you could see amusement flickering in them.

"Geez, sorry 'bout that. The idiot over there shoved me and I slipped. Damn sandals, never shoulda worn 'em." She grumbled, pulling off a pair of brown flip flops.

"Oh, it's alright. Accidents happen." Lavi says, standing up and offering both of us a hand. I take it, but she jumps up on her own.

"Well, gotta run!" She says, picking up her sandals and getting ready to dash off.

"Wait!" I say, grabbing her arm. She turns and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yes?" She asks, and I blush a little.

"Uhh… what's your name?"

"Skyla. You two?"

"Oh! I'm Allen and that's Lavi." I reply.

"Hn. Nice meetin' you guys. Not necessarily a nice situation… but oh well. See ya 'round." She smiles and waves, running off to catch up with her friends.

I turn and see Lavi looking at me strangely. I tilt my head.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?" I ask.

"No. Why'd you ask for her name?" I smirk.

"Jealous? Don't be. Just in case I broke anything, that way she pays the medical bill." I stick my tongue out and Lavi blushes.

"I was not jealous!" **(He is so jelly. Oh yeah… Lavi doesn't know Moyashi-Chan doesn't go for girls. Yet.)**

"Whatever. I still wanna talk with Bookman." He pouts.

"You don't believe me?" He makes puppy eyes at me, and I sigh for the umpteenth time that day.

"No offense, but you aren't so great at keeping promises." Another pout. "But I do believe you. Mostly I want to ask why he did it, and maybe smack him." At that, Lavi grins.

"Right this way, then."

After a short and awkward elevator ride (it was jam packed in there) we finally made it to the third floor, which is right above the lobby. At the end of the hall, I can see the door to room 147 is open. Lavi's brow furrows, and he pushes me behind him.

"Stay back. In case someone we… don't want to be in there is there." He turns his head to look back at me, and I nod. We peek into the room, and the first thing I see is definitely someone I was not expecting.

Master.

"He's definitely someone I don't want to be in there." Lavi smirks at my words, and walks in.

"Idiot apprentice, we were – oh. Allen. What a surprise. We were just talking about you." My eyes stray to Bookman for a moment while he speaks, but then stray back to Master.

"And what were you talking about?" I ask.

"Where Lavi should sleep. We need a place to stay, and I'm sick of these hotel beds. Of course, the guest bedroom only has one bed… So you'll need to work out sleeping arrangements with Lavi. You do have a king size bed, no?" Bookman asks. I blush and pull my jaw shut, realizing it was wide open.

"We are not sleeping in the same bed!" Lavi and I shout in unison. He turns toward me, and I see he's got a pink tint to his cheeks. I'm sure mine are crimson.

"Just an idea. Allen, do you know where the inflatable bed is?" Master asks.

"The garage." I reply. Master nods.

"Well, let's get packing. Cross, could you go check us out?" Bookman asks.

"Fine. C'mon, Allen." Cross walks towards me and grabs the collar of my shirt, spinning me around and marching me to the door.

"Wait – I wanted to – slow down! I need to – ouch!" I stumble on the carpet and the floor rushes up to meet me. I brace myself for the hard floor, but end up landing on something soft… and… a person?

"Ouch, dammit! That hurt! Watch where you're – oh. Allen?" I looks up and see Skyla, significantly wetter and more flustered than before. I realize I landed on top of her, and I roll off.

"God, I'm so sorry, I tripped and –" I begin, but Skyla stops me by laughing.

"Don't worry about it, it's okay, really. I was just surprised." I give a sheepish smile and begin to apologize, but Skyla flicks my forehead.

"Don't apologize. We're even now." I nod my head, and she pulls her hand back. Someone jumps onto her from behind.

"Gah! Dammit, Sofie! What the hell?" Skyla yells and Sofie giggles like a maniac. She peeks out from behind Skyla. She has chin-length brown hair that could use a good brushing and some shampoo. She has huge brown eyes that are a few shades darker than her deeply tanned skin. She has thin lips that are curved into a cruel smile. She's wearing a black swim shirt and a skirt to match. Both are frilly… Girly girl. Most likely a bit crazy too… perhaps she forgot her meds?

"Sorry, Skyla. You're just so fun to glomp!" With that, she squeezes Skyla again and giggles. Skyla coughs and unwinds Sofie's arms from around her waist. Once that task is done, she scrabbles away and stands up, offering a hand to me (which I accept) and leaving Sofie pouting on the floor.

"You don't have to be so mean." Sofie grumbles.

"And you don't have to attack me. Meet'cha back at the hotel room? I wanna go grab some pocky." At that, Sofie brightens.

"Okay! I'll get the snacks and drinks ready! When do you think people are gonna get here?" Sofie chirps happily. Skyla studies a clock on the wall behind me.

"Hmm… maybe twenty minutes? That should be enough time to get ready." Sofie nods and dashes off, presumably to their hotel room. Skyla looks at me, and then a smile graces her lips.

"You and Lavi wanna come too? It's my birthday party. I'm turning fifteen." I look for Master, but he appears to have left a while ago.

"Uh, I'll check with Lavi. We'll probably be there soon though. What's your room number?" I ask. Her smile gets wider.

"Number 82. It's on the second floor. Hope to see you guys there!" She waves, and runs off toward the vending machines. I walk back to Lavi's room and peek inside, but Lavi is nowhere to be found. I panic and run to the elevators, pressing the button over and over again, as if it would make it go faster.

_I can't let him leave again!_ Plays in my head like a broken record. As soon as the elevator arrives on the lobby floor, I'm dashing of towards the front entrance. A pair of arms circles around my chest as soon as I run outside.

"Geez, Allen. Be more careful. You could've gotten hit by a car!" Lavi says, pulling me back onto the sidewalk just as a red truck whizzes by. I turn and look at him, tears glistening in my eyes as I try to blink them away.

"You're the one who scared me! I thought you left again…" I let out a choked sob and buried my head in his chest, fighting the tears threatening to spill over. Lavi hugs me and pets my hair, soothing me.

"Don't worry, Allen. I'm not going to leave again. Look at me." I look up, and see the truth in his eye.

"Do you believe me?" I sniffle and nod, rubbing my eyes with my sweater. After a moment of rubbing, I look around.

"Where are Master and Bookman?" I ask. Lavi shrugs.

"Cross said some girl invited us to a party. They're long gone, I was about to go back up and find you. So, we gonna go, or what?" He asks. I smile and pull open the door leading to the hotel.

"Yep!" I chirp happily, my fears momentarily forgotten at the thought of food and drinks waiting for me upstairs.

This party is gonna be fun, I just know it!

What I didn't know was that it was going to change my relationship with Lavi forever.

* * *

**And that's chapter 5. Damn. Five chapters in three days. I think that's the most I've written in such a short period of time… not to mention this chapter is longer than any of the other chapters I've written. It's about a thousand words longer than any other chapter. Wow. That's an accomplishment for me. My cargo pants smell like cigarette smoke. WTF? I haven't been around anyone that's smoked while wearing these pants. It's just weird. I guess that's what downtown does, though.**


	6. Truth or Dare

**Hello! Back again with another chapter for all you lovely readers! I've been listening to Ed Sheeran recently… I really like The A Team… I think it's my new favorite song. Though one line in 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' makes me laugh every time I hear it. It is: *drumroll* They say I'm up and coming like I'm fucking in an elevator. I don't know why, but I can't contain my giggles when I hear that. It's a good song, though. He's a good singer. Check it out. People are lighting fireworks. Loud. :P *points to OceanicCrownClown's review response* Go read that. It has important info.**

**Acknowledgements: Cake to all that reviewed, and an extra cookie to the wonderful authors I asked through PM to check this out. Your advice helped a lot, and I'm glad you were all kind enough to give me feedback. It really does help!**

**DarkKittehKat: Ah, you hath found me. For the moment, deal with it. That changes next chapter, and I know you aren't a girly girl. :P I know… I'm just procrastinating. I don't want to write for those stories~ well… maybe not AiW… I actually don't know what I want to have happen with the OCless version. But I have the rough draft for CM done so I should update it soon. We haven't gotten to the Laven yet, genius. XD**

**kh07gl: *points at DarkKittehKat* That is who I based Sofie off of. We're RL buddies and she practically dragged me to ff. I'm glad she did, though! XD As I said in our PM, the Yullen is implied. But I _did_ say this story is Laven, and I intend for it to stay that way. XD August 10th is everyone's clue to why Allen and Kanda keep sneaking off~**

**Hanashi o suru: Pocky game. Updating *pulls fingers to head to make it look like I'm telepathic* now!**

**Colorici74: Yes, I'm furious at you for _sleeping._ XD It's fine, I probably should have been asleep too… anime was just too tempting. XD I based her off of DKK, we're RL buddies. (DKK is DarkKittehKat) Yep. My dad smokes, and as soon as I get back to mom's I take a shower. Smoking is nasty and really bad for you. :P Indeed it is. I should probably start using rosetta stone… but I'm too lazy. Japanese can wait, fanfics cannot! XD**

**OceanicCrownClown: I'm finishing this version of the story over the summer, and the rating will stay T. I'm also going to be doing an M rated version which will start whenever I finish this one. (Very lemony.) As for the POV's, they will vary depending on the Arc we're in. Right now, we're still on the first one and transitioning into the filler chapters (budding romance between Allen and Lavi... the pocky game this chapter starts it all. XD I thought it would be a nice way to start a relationship.) before the Yullen? Arc. August 10th is your only clue as to why Allen and Kanda keep sneaking off. Just copied and pasted that 'cuz I'm too lazy to type it all again.**

**mychemicalbitchbot: Yeah, I realized that after I posted it and I'm just too lazy to go back and fix it right now. XD Plus, I don't have a beta yet. Bleh. I'm going to do all the tweaking once I finish all the chapters. I didn't even think of that... wow. Now that you mention it, it is pretty boring. XD I'll keep that in mind for future writing. I don't normally do 1st person, so this is like practice for me. Your advice helps a lot. But it's also partially the way I write… I do tend to be a bit of a reporter, not really someone who pulls people's hearts into things. It's probably not going to change much, but I will make an effort to add more emotion. :3 Skyla and Sofie are fairly important to the story, I suppose. For the next 3-ish chapters (maybe? I have a rough draft of those chapters, but I might merge some of them) they're the main people in the party, and later on Skyla gets a job at the same place as Allen, and Sofie visits her a lot. Thank you so much for your advice, it'll definitely help me. I'll try and keep this in mind for future chapters and stories. Again, thanks! Oh, and Aelita is also important. Just some OC I made up. :P Haley and Kumori are important too. Kumori's appearance is a clue as to why.**

**Mukuro234: Too late for a short AN. XD sorry. I like responding to people's reviews on here, so everyone can see 'em if they want. If the authors PM me a review on my story then I respond to it there. Sometimes I respond there anyway.**

**moyashi bakanda: Just realized I hadn't said anything to you before. Thanks for putting this on your story alert! It makes me happy. :3**

**Disclaimer: Just realized I hadn't done this yet. I don't own D. Gray-Man. Duh. It's called a _fan_fic for a reason.**

**Warnings: OC's (4 real. Aelita is some random person I made up. Thought she was cool, and I'll post a picture of her on my DA sooner or later) and minor yuri. A teaspoon of yaoi too… XD Oh! And a bit of swearing. Nothing bad enough to force you guys to wash your eyes out with soap, though.**

**GAH A BUG JUST FLEW IN MY SLEEVE! *jumps around trying to dislodge it* Hope you guys like the chapter! *waves arms frantically then flings coat jacket off in annoyance***

* * *

_"Cross said some girl invited us to a party. They're long gone, I was about to go back up and find you. So, we gonna go, or what?" He asks. I smile and pull open the door leading to the hotel._

_"Yep!" I chirp happily, my fears momentarily forgotten at the thought of food and drinks waiting for me upstairs._

_This party is gonna be fun, I just know it!_

_What I didn't know was that it was going to change my relationship with Lavi forever._

. :Allen POV: .

When we arrived at the designated room, all was chaos. There were people spilling into the hall, for crying out loud! Music was playing, and there was general disarray. I caught a glimpse of Skyla sitting on a bed and talking with Sofie, but a girl walked by me, and she disappeared again.

Lavi grabbed my hand, and started weaving through the crowd towards the only people we knew. Sofie waved, causing Skyla to turn her head and smile at us. I felt Lavi's grip on my hand tighten at that small gesture. I looked at his face, but he was wearing his usual grin. I squeezed his hand for reassurance, and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch up a bit more.

"Allen! Lavi! You made it! I'm so glad!" Skyla hugged us as soon as we sat down on the bed.

"Hey, Skyla. So, what's the occasion?" Lavi asks.

"She turned 15 a few months ago!" Sofie replied. Lavi nodded and grabbed a soda that was placed in a cooler near his feet. It _was_ pretty toasty in here. Skyla stretched, and I heard a few joints pop.

"Ah~ that's much better. Oh! Aelita! Come meet Lavi and Allen!" Skyla waved over a girl with tan skin, aquamarine eyes, spiky brown hair that could give Lavi a run for his money and quite a few piercings over. Aelita smirks and sits next to Skyla.

"Nice to meet you guys. I take it you're the two Skyla's been blabbering about for half an hour?" Skyla blushes and looks at her cargo pants, to which I realize Sofie is wearing a matching pair. Perhaps she's not the girly-girl I pegged her to be… I mentally slap myself for stereotyping her. Unexpected qualities are always found in people once you looked past the surface… though Skyla seems to be a perfect fit for what I expect her to be.

"Sorry boys, she's mine!" Aelita places a quick peck on Skyla's lips, making her squeak and her blush to darken.

Or maybe she's not what I expected her to be… hadn't seen that one coming.

"Aelita! Did you really have to do that?" Skyla pouts, only causing Aelita's smirk to widen.

"Sorry, love. You were so adorable I couldn't resist. Want something to drink?" Skyla nods and Aelita walks away to grab a drink from the small fridge in the corner of the room.

"So you two are dating." Lavi says. It's more of a statement than a question. Skyla blushes and nods.

"Heh, yep. They've been together for a month or so now. Aelita asked her out and Skyla freaked 'cuz she thought that everyone in the school knew she was bi. They didn't at the time, but they do now!" You could hear the amusement in Sofie's voice while she spoke.

"And she's still embarrassed when I kiss her in public." Aelita tosses a sprite at Skyla, which she snatches out of the air quickly. Damn, she has fast reflexes. **( I do. Don't play speed with me. You'll most likely lose. And don't play BS with me either. I have a permanent poker face. Except for when I'm around the evil-geniuses I call my friends.)** Attempting to diffuse her embarrassment, Skyla shakes her head.

"So, are you guys dating anyone?" Aelita asks while sipping her faygo. **(What can I say? I like Gamzee. *hands cookie to those that understand*)** I look at Lavi, who bites his lip.

"No, I just moved here a few days ago from South America." Aelita slings an arm around Skyla's shoulder and looks at me.

"And you." She says bluntly.

"Uh… n-no… I'm not…" I stutter, and Skyla's eyes widen.

"Oh, I get it." She grins, and I shrink back, freaking out. _Does she know I'm gay? Most people can't tell… I try to hide it… Can people really see through me that easily?_ Even though everyone at my school knows it, I deny it. Lenalee accidentally sent all her friends an email saying I was gay when she only meant to send it to Kanda… That was not a fun week of school, I can tell you that.

"Uhm… what do you get?" I ask. I sound nervous. Shit. Skyla tilts her head.

"Do you not want me to know what kind of… person you like?" She asks. _Fuck. She does know._

"Uh, I don't mind if you know… Just don't tell anyone." Skyla nods and settles back. I can see Lavi staring at me out of the corner of my eye, and my panic returns. _Oh god, what if he figures it out? He is intelligent… Dear god, I know I don't pray often, but please don't let him find out!_ I turn my head, watching Lavi's eyes widen.

"How did she figure it out that fast?" … What? I must have had a confused look on my face, because Lavi leans in and whispers in my ear.

"That you like guys?" I pull back and nearly fall off the bed, the only thing keeping my head from connecting with the floor is Skyla's hand holding onto my arm.

"Be more careful, Allen! You're lucky I took MMA. Otherwise your head would have met the floor in a very unpleasant manner." She hoists me up with ease.

"Careful not to make her angry. She's stronger than she looks, and she's got a good right hook. I know that better than anyone." Aelita mutters the last part and sticks out her tongue. Skyla laughs and turns to Lavi, tilting her head a bit.

"I'm Pisces, so I can tap into people's emotions easily." She chirps. Aelita snorts.

"Not to mention she can read micro expressions and has a photographic memory."

"Eidetic." Skyla and Lavi say in unison, making Sofie giggle.

"Never mind that, how did _you_ figure it out?" I ask.

"Remember the research I did? Said it in there." Research…? Oh, right. When he heard that phone call.

"Oh. That makes sense." I say. Aelita clears her throat, making all of us look at her. She points to the clock on the wall, which now reads 10:00 P.M.

"Party's ending. You guys wanna stick around? Sofie, Aelita, Haley, Kumori, and Lenalee are staying after too."

"Lenalee?" Lavi and I shout in unison. A muffled yes comes through the crowd.

Lenalee's head peeks between two guys. She stares at us in shock, which I imagine must mirror our own.

"Allen? Lavi? What are you guys doing here?" She asks.

"We met Skyla today… how do you know her?" Lenalee laughs as Lavi's question.

"She goes to our school, silly! How could you not know her?" Lavi huffs.

"Well, I just started school today. I think that justifies my obliviousness. Allen, however…" He trails off and looks over his shoulder at me. I laugh nervously and scratch the back of my head.

"I don't really pay attention to people." Lavi chuckles.

Lenalee squeezes between the two boys, who are now shuffling out of the room with most of the people. The only ones that are still here are two girls… who have a strange choice of hairstyle. One has red and black streaked hair, which looks good with her tan skin. Her eyes are black and she's wearing a jacket, tee shirt, skirt, over the knee socks and black knee high boots. Her outfit matches the girl next to her, who has two curls on either side of her head that start out white and taper down to cobalt. She has the same pale skin and stormy eyes that I do… She's like a female version of me, if I dyed my hair.

After the door is shut, the girls walk over. The girl with black and red hair grins.

"My name's Haley! Sorry if I'm hyper, I had waaaay too much sugar." The girl next to her nodded, her expression carefully blank.

"Kumori. She's my sister." I raise an eyebrow. _They aren't similar at all._ Lavi must be thinking the same thing, because he makes a small sound of disbelief.

"Really! We're twins. I look more like my dad though, and she looks like our mama." Haley then jumps on the other bed, causing Sofie to shriek and fly off it, only to slam on the floor. She sits up and glares at Haley.

"I should have killed you with a spoon a long time ago." Sofie growls. Skyla facepalms.

Kumori calmly walks over and kicks her sister in the head, sending her sprawling on the floor next to Sofie.

* * *

After everyone got their revenge on one another, Aelita suggested we play a game.

"Birthday girl chooses what we play." Kumori states. She kind of freaks me out… she's completely expressionless and she has no inflection in her voice. Skyla smirks.

"Truth or dare." Everyone in the room (save Aelita) cringes at her tone of voice.

"So, Lenalee. Truth or dare?" Lenalee sweatdrops.

"Truth." Skyla's smile widens.

"We'll start with something easy. Who was your first kiss?" Lenalee breaths a sigh of relief.

"Bak Chang… Though I only did it to get him to stop stalking me." She shuddered, recalling the 'stalker incident' as I like to call it. She blinks and looks at Kumori.

"Truth or dare?" She asks.

"Dare." Lenalee scratches her chin.

"Okay… I dare you to lick Haley's foot." Aelita makes a face, and plugs her nose.

"You can take your shoe off now." She says in a nasally voice. Haley cackles and unzips her boot, filling the room with a… pungent odor. My eyes begin to water and Lavi pulls his scarf over his nose and mouth. Haley pulls her foot up and Kumori lightly touches her tongue to it. She quickly pulls back and starts chewing a piece of mint gum, the only visible sign of her discomfort with the whole ordeal. Haley slips her shoe back on, and the smell of feet, old socks, and sweat disperses.

"Aelita, truth or dare?" Aelita grins.

"Truth."

"Why do you like Skyla?" She asks. Aelita answers without a moment of hesitation.

"She's the only person I've ever known to fully accept me for who I am, and the only person who doesn't try to mold me into something more convenient for them. She's funny and kind, and she doesn't hesitate to tell me when I'm wrong. She's strong willed and not afraid to speak her mind. And you're wrong, I don't like her," She pauses and looks at Skyla with a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"I love her." With that, Skyla smiles and everyone in the room lets out an 'Aww'. Aelita places a chaste kiss and turns to me, evil smirk plastered on her face. I internally flinch, but smile at her.

"So Allen, truth or dare?" Her words are said in a sweet tone, but they drip with poison. This time I flinch on the outside too.

"Uhh… Truth?" I cringe when Aelita cackles.

"Just what I was hoping for. So, what did you guys mean by Skyla figuring something out quickly?" I gape at her. _I totally forgot about that! Crap!_ I fumble for something to say.

"Uh – I don't think – Uh… Dare?" Aelita smirks again.

"Uh-uh-uh~ You have to answer~" I sigh. _Guess I might as well tell them. I'm doomed._

"Err… I'm gay." I whisper. Aelita blinks, then laughs. I must have a dejected look on my face, because she waves her hand.

"Oh, don't be sad, I just find it funny that you worry we're going to think differently about you when you know Skyla and I are dating." She gets out between giggle fits.

"Your logic _was_ pretty twisted." Sofie says. I tilt my head. _I guess they're right. I was being kind of an idiot._ I look at Skyla.

"Okay then, if you guys are alright with it, then let's continue. Sofie, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" She says happily, her knee bouncing on the bed. I purse my lips, when Lavi leans over and whispers in my ear.

"Dare her to buy all of us ice cream tomorrow." I turn to him and smile. I guess he remembered that I never was good at coming up with questions for this game.

"I dare you to buy all of us ice cream tomorrow." Sofie pouts and glares at Lavi.

"Fine. Lavi, truth or dare?" Lavi grins.

"Dare." Sofie thinks for a moment, then something dark flickers through her eyes. I shuffle back a bit; unnerved by the intensity of the look she's got on her face. Pure evil.

"Well, since you both decided now would be a great time to empty out my wallet, I dare you two to play the pocky game."

Lavi turns to me, and his look of horror mirrors mine.

_Oh shit._

* * *

**OHGAWDITSSOFLUFFYIMGUNNADIE! *hands muffin to those that get the reference* The relationship between Skyla and Aelita is just adorable, I think. But hard to write, since I've never been in a relationship. Humans generally annoy me, so I don't date people. And yes, I actually am bi. Didn't know that, did you DKK? Now you do. :P Please review and tell me what you though of this chapter! Updates also come faster when you guys review.**


	7. Pocky Game

**Hey. I'm just gonna get on with it.**

**Acknowledgements: Thanks to the lovely readers and reviewers! Muffins to all readers, and an extra one to those that reviewed!**

**xPandoraHeartx, You Still Love Me and webidolchiu94: Thanks for adding this to your story alert! And an extra thanks to webidolchiu94 for adding me to your author alert!**

**Origami Lotus:**

**Chap 5: XD thankies! I love your reviews, they all sound like something I'd say. (Just ask DKK. She shall confirm it. Lmao.)**

**Chap 6: Thanks. They were actually drawn at random. I put a bunch of OC's in a hat and drew them out, and those two were slated to be a couple. I'm like "… M'okay." XD**

**Aika-tan: Thanks! You shall see here. -_-' Allen is so awkward sometimes. XD *hands cookie* you are correct.**

**Mad Hatter Usagi: Your reviews always make me happy. I'm glad people like this so much! It's a big honor coming from you especially, considering you're one of my favorite authors. :3**

**Colorici74: Finally got your SN memorized! *feels accomplished* … I… get it? I think? XD Thankies! I don't plan on being in one for a while. Being around one person for extended periods of time tends to irritate me. -_-**

**Mukuro234: Thanks! Can't believe people didn't realize it before now. XD Well… some girls did, I guess. They started hitting on me. That was an awkward day, considering my dad saw it all happen… lmao. The look on his face was really funny. :P**

**Hanashi o suru: Indeed they are. Allen almost chokes. I'll leave you to guess what he chokes on. ;) Pocky are yummy. :D You shall see here. *smirks* The Baka-Usagi is adorable, and Moyashi-Chan is just… awkward. XDDDD**

**DKK: Good. SURPRISE! I'm bi. What a way to figure it out. XDDD sorry 'bout that, thought you knew or guessed, at least. :P Nope. You get no action. Unless you want me to put Jan in there~ XD jk! I dunno what he looks like. Otherwise I'd put him in just to mess with you. Some people are only alive because it is illegal to kill them. Those people I have no problem with you killing… just don't spatter the blood on me.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own DGM, as much as I'd like to. Just so I could say I own Lavi, of course. ;)**

**Warnings: Awkward Moyashi-Chan and a little smooching, not to mention choking on a foreign object. Yes. You read right. And the rating is still T. Don't be scared, DKK. It won't scar you for life, I swear. (Spelled it right that time! XD I'm such a fail.)**

* * *

_"Well, since you both decided now would be a great time to empty out my wallet, I dare you two to play the pocky game."_

_Lavi turns to me, and his look of horror mirrors mine._

Oh shit.

* * *

. :Allen POV: . **(What were you guys expecting?)**

"I think we ran out of pocky…" Lavi mumbled. Sofie smirked and whipped out a box of pocky from who knows where. Lavi paled and grabbed it from her hand, quickly tossing it out the window. Aelita glared at him.

"That's littering, you know. You could get fined for it. But fear not, for I have extra pocky!" She grabbed her shoulder bag and pulled out a few boxes, tossing one to every girl in the room.

"Lavi… I don't think we're getting out of this one…" When I heard the 'click' of the lock on the door, I knew there was no chance of escape. Especially not with all the girls circling around us like sharks… wait… did Lenalee have a _camera!_

"Lenalee, you are _not_ taking pictures of this!" She smirked at my words.

"You're right, Allen. I'm taking video." I gaped at her and then shut my mouth, glaring at the floor. The vain hope of burning a hole in it large enough for me to escape through died quickly, seeing as the carpet was not melting.

"Can we just get this over with? I want to go home so I can sleep." I grumbled. Lavi nodded, and was handed a piece of pocky by Skyla. I heard the camera whir to life and gulped. There was no way this wasn't going to end up on YouTube.

"Ready, Allen?" Lavi asked. I turned towards him, blushing when what we were about to do finally sunk in. _You've been with Lavi for less than eight hours, and you're about to kiss him. Moving a bit fast, aren't we Allen?_ Whispered a voice in my head that sounded suspiciously like Master… Guess I really do need sleep, if _he's_ in my head.

Lavi placed the biscuit end of the pocky in his mouth, waiting for me to do the same. I gently placed my lips on the edge, hearing one girl squeal, though I couldn't tell who it was. I watched Skyla from the corner of my eye, who took a picture of it on her phone. She then glanced at me, smirking.

"You know you guys could've eaten that thing a while ago and have been done with this, right?" I glared at her, but turned back to Lavi, closing my eyes and praying to god I wouldn't be the awkward idiot I usually was…

… Turns out luck was not on my side. **(Warning, Allen being an idiot comin' up.)**

In my haste to get this over with, I forgot the most important element of the pocky game: chewing. Over half the pocky got shoved down my throat, making me choke and pull away. Lavi was immediately patting and rubbing my back, trying to soothe my coughing fit. Lenalee was there too, hiding a smile behind her hand and putting a hand on my arm.

I glared at her, though it wasn't effective because I started coughing again, this time due to choking on my own saliva. **(I have done that so many times. I swallowed an entire ice cube by accident today. Don't ask me how that's possible, it just is.)** I glanced at Aelita, Skyla, Haley and Sofie, who were all rolling on the floor howling with laughter.

I then turned to give a pleading look to Kumori, figuring she would be the only one (besides Lavi) who wouldn't be laughing at me.

Luck really does hate me today. **(Doesn't it always, Moyashi-Chan?)**

The ever-impassive, poker faced (it could even beat Kanda's) Kumori, was trying to stifle giggles. What. The. Fuck. What has this world come to?

After my coughing fits subsided, Lavi stood, pulling me up with him.

"Well girls, it was wonderful meeting you all, but I think it's time the Moyashi and I departed." I gave him a weak glare at the use of my nickname, but my exhaustion from all the coughing and the head wound took over. I slumped my shoulders as I leaned against the wall.

"Could you call a cab?" I asked, my voice raspy from the coughing. Skyla nodded and dialed in the number, giving the driver the address and the description of the people he was picking up. She snapped the phone shut and looked at Lavi and me.

"He should be waiting when you guys get down there. I had to pull a few strings, but that was easy. Allen, get some rest. You look like you're about to pass out." I'm sure I did. I was ready to just fall asleep slumped against the wall. Coughing up a lung really takes it out of you. Plus it gives you a major headache. Wonderful thing when you have a goose egg on your head the size of Texas and a bruise just below your throat to match.

"Strings?" Lavi asked, confused. I was beyond caring, so I tuned them out and looked at the rain pelting the window. Not surprising, considering they lived in Portland, Oregon. One minute sunshine, next, a torrential downpour.

"Ready to go, Allen?" Lavi asked. I yawned, which was confirmation enough for him.

I was half dragged to the cab by Lavi, who was told he didn't have to pay. 'Anything for Ms. Skyla!' or something like that. This cabbie was strange, though. He wore bandages across his face and his name was Japanese, I believe. Toma. He seemed kind enough.

I felt my mind start fading out into sleep, so I let the current of drowsiness whisk me off into the world of dreams.

* * *

. :Normal POV: . **(One that I prefer to use… therefore it is called normal.)**

Lavi attempted to start a conversation with Allen, only stopping when he realized the boy was asleep. He wound his fingers together and rested his hand on them, watching other lights play off the raindrops on the windows of the car. The lights were intense, due to the time of night and the part of downtown they were in. All neon lights and strip clubs.

He contemplated the events of the party. _Was Allen really that against kissing me? He said he likes guys… his file said that too… so why would this make him so uncomfortable?_ Those thoughts were only a small portion of the things swirling in his mind.

Before he knew it, they were at the house. He thanked Toma for the ride and carried Allen up to the door, bridal style. All the lights in the house were off, so he had to fish around in his pockets for the key Cross had given him earlier that day while they were loading the car. Looking in your pockets, in the dark, with someone in your arms is even more difficult than it sounds, surprisingly.

He finally found it and the door swung open with a quiet 'click' as soon as he twisted the key. He carried Allen up to his – no wait. _Their_ bedroom and set him on the bed, pulling off his shoes and socks carefully so he wouldn't wake up.

After Lavi had crept back upstairs after leaving their shoes by the door, he tucked Allen into bed. It wouldn't kill him to sleep in his jeans for one night. He smiled fondly at the sleeping boy before him. When he was like this, he looked calm and peaceful, like an angel.

He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, pulling away slightly, though he could see that his breath was ruffling Allen's bangs.

"Goodnight, Allen. Sweet dreams." Lavi retreated out of the room, deciding that he would sleep on the couch until the air mattress was set up. He was halfway down the stairs, so he couldn't hear the muffled reply through the blankets.

"'Night Lavi. Love ya…"

* * *

**I leave you with that. Please review! It gets me to update faster, and I can probably update more during the week since my parent's are at work, and it's summer so I don't have school. OH! We finished the beginning Arc. We're now moving on to the filler chapters. See you guys later~**


	8. Food for Plot

**I am an idiot. Or a complete genius. I don't know. Maybe both? Anyways~ I had an idea to make Kanda into a yaoi fanboy, but whenever I tried to write it, I ended up laughing so hard I couldn't type. So we get the usual, pissed off and grumpy Kanda. So sorry for not updating sooner! I have multiple reasons, first being my comp fracking up and hating me, second being really sick, and third being writers block.**

**Acknowledgements: A big thank you to all readers and reviewers! Hope you like the chapter!**

**Hanashi o suru: You shall see here. Here's the update~**

**Mad Hatter Usagi: I'm glad I made you laugh. I don't usually go for the humorous stuff, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. XD I can admit that it was really fun to write. Yeah. I had to add it to the dictionary. Meh. Pocky are yummy. :P**

**Mukuro234: I lurv cliffies! I suggest getting used to them, because they shall appear a lot in this story. The next few chapters probably won't have as many cliffies, though. Here's the update!**

**DKK: I don't really know him, so I'm not gonna do it. It would just be… weird writing about him. I don't know him, so it'd make me feel like I'm a stalker or something. XD Yesh. You are violent in this story. Just like real life. -_-**

**Happycafegirl: Yesh they are. Adorableness overload!**

**Allen & Lavi: *Glomps back and points at me* She made us do this 'cuz she loves your reviews.**

**Yaoilovergirl256: Heh. Yep. You guys are gonna do a lot more, too… *smirks***

**Allen & Lavi: *Shudder***

**A.R. OwOv:**

**Chapter 1: Depends… if you get in a sticky situation, they could help…? Principals do pick favorites, even if they say they don't. I was one of my principal's favorites last year. Tee hee. Not really sure why, though. I'm not the greatest student...  
**

**Chapter 2: Yesh. *singsong voice* dramatic character reveal!  
**

**Chapter 3: Yep… Allen was pissed~  
**

**Thankies for all your lovely reviews!  
**

**Guest: I have no idea who you are, so I dub you G-chan until you tell me what you prefer to be called. Not really. Their lips didn't even touch. That will be explained in the upcoming chapters… and this one. Depends on how I break it up. Yeah… though he thought it was all a dream, and he hasn't actually _realized_ he loves him yet. That was just kind of like… his subconscious talking. When fully awake he thinks of Lavi as his closest friend. Soo… yeah. That will be changing soon. Very, very soon.**

**ellen neah, Breenaa, GelliiAce and moonprincess828: Thankies you guys! Getting all this stuff makes me happy. :3**

**Disclaimer: Is this really necessary? It's obvious I don't own it. :P**

**Warnings: Hmm… nope. None for this chapter, I don't think. WAITNO. Minor swearing... in British. :D  
**

_. :This is Allen's dream. When it's got the fancy things on both ends that I always put on the POV spot.: ._

* * *

_He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, pulling away slightly, though he could see that his breath was ruffling Allen's bangs._

_"Goodnight, Allen. Sweet dreams." Lavi retreated out of the room, deciding that he would sleep on the couch until the air mattress was set up. He was halfway down the stairs, so he couldn't hear the muffled reply through the blankets._

_"'Night Lavi. Love ya…"_

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

_. : I felt someone lightly kiss my lips. It was just enough to make me realize someone was there._

"Goodnight, Allen. Sweet dreams."_ Ah, there was Lavi. I guess he's the one who kissed me. As soon as I realized that, which took a moment because my mind was quite hazy, I answered._

"'Night Lavi, Love ya…"_: ._

I awoke to the constant 'tap, tap, tap' of rain pelting the roof. I groaned and rolled over, thinking about my dream. _Lavi… kissed me… We didn't during the pocky game… I pulled away too fast… AGH. I don't want to think about it!_ I blushed and buried my face in the pillow, hoping that it would die down.

After a minute of breathing exercises, I could feel the heat recede. I looked at the clock and blinked a few times, making sure I was reading it right. It was 6:00 A.M. I groaned and lay back down. It's the bloody weekend!I can sleep in! My body disagrees, and begins to prepare itself for the day.

I stand up and walk to the window. I guess I stood up too fast though, because I get head rush and I have to grip the frame for support. Once it passes, I'm left with a throbbing headache. I rub the remaining sleep out of my eyes and trudge down the stairs to the downstairs bathroom, which has all the medicine.

When I reach the living room, I trip on something and sprawl out on the floor. God damn the awkward stages of growing where you trip on nothing!** (Well, Moyashi-Chan. Maybe you tripped on a line…? Lmao. Only DKK will get that one.) **Pulling myself out of the very elegant faceplant, I look down and see a… lump of red hair? What? Why is Lavi sprawled out on the floor… and why am I lying on top of him!

I blush and pull myself off, scrambling to get away, only succeeding in slamming my head against the table. I must have woken Lavi up when I fell on top of him, because he smirks.

"Well. I certainly wasn't expecting to be woken up like that." He can obviously see I'm flustered, because his smirk widens. "Now, now, Moyashi~" He sings, "You should be more careful~ you might lose an eye~" I growl at him.

"Or I could rip your other eye out and shove it down your throat." He pales a bit and pulls back his hand, which was reaching for my shoulder.

"Well… I can see that you and Yuu-chan are good friends…" He trails off when I glare at him. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He grins again, and I sigh. It's no use; I can't stay mad at him. Even if it's far too early in the morning to deal with his shit.

"Put a sock in it, it's too early and I'm not in the mood to talk right now." I get up and make my way to the medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of Advil. I take three and swallow them dry, walking to the fridge and pulling out all the ingredients for an omelet.

When I was halfway done cooking, Master, Lavi and Bookman all came into the kitchen, looking extremely tired and hungry.

"Allen~" Lavi whined, "Why did you have to start making food? It smells good~ will you make me some too?" He asks, his whole face lighting up in excitement. I plop the omelet onto the plate and hand it to him. He looks at it as though he hasn't eaten anything in years. He thanks me quickly and rushes into the dining room, presumably to eat.

"Those are for you two. If you want seconds, make them yourself." I grumble, cracking ten eggs into the pan. Bookman looks at me strangely.

"Are you sure you're going to eat all that?" He asks, and I raise an eyebrow at him. Lavi walks into the room and puts his plate in the sink. Man, he eats almost as fast as I do.

"Have you forgotten he's like a vacuum cleaner when it comes to food? He'll eat anything and everything, as long as it's not too poisonous~" Lavi teases. I fling the spatula at him, which is covered in egg. Sadly, that happened at the same time Bookman placed a well aimed kick to his face, so it ended up splattering Bookman instead.

All is silent for a moment, before Lavi bursts out laughing. He grabs onto the counter for support, trying to stifle his uncontrollable fit of hysterical laughter. I peek at master from behind my hands, realizing I pulled them up to my face when the spatula hit. A large smile is covering the half of his face I can see, and he's laughing so hard it's silent. I guess I would laugh that hard too if Kanda was covered in egg yolk and whites…

Speak of the devil.

The doorbell rings, saving me from any lecture that would have been tossed my way by Bookman. I was too scared to look at his face, but I'm sure he was seething and plotting ways to get revenge. That's just how he is. He can be really childish sometimes… and no, I'm not talking about his height. That would just be rude.

I take a moment to compose myself when I reach the door, smiling brightly. I start to turn the handle when the door flings open, causing me to take a quick step back and overbalance, in turn almost making me trip… god, why am I such a bloody klutz lately? I blame Lavi. **(Blaming Lavi. The best thing to do when you run out of excuses.)** Ever since he got back, I've fallen on my arse more times than in the past two years.

I hear a small shriek, and then feel someone latch onto my arm and tug me upright. I get pulled into the arms of... Lenalee? What the heck is she doing here? I hear a grunt and feel a whoosh of air as someone walks past me... and there goes Kanda. Lenalee smiles kindly at me.

"You okay Allen? Skyla sent me here because she was worried about you making it home safely." She lets go of me and I take a few steps back, reclaiming my personal space... only to have it invaded again by none other than Lavi. I blush and look at my shoes, recalling the events of my dream. Lavi just laughed and gave me a noogie, much to my annoyance.

"Gah! Bloody hell Lavi, let me go! I'm hungry!" I whined. Lavi let out a small sound of confusion.

"Bloody hell?" He asks, letting go of me. I stomp past him and back to the kitchen, barely catching Lenalee's response.

"When he's upset or annoyed he tends to slip back into a British accent." I narrowly miss Kanda when I turn the corner, and he looks pissed. Wonder what that's about. My rumbling stomach demands food, so who am I to deny it?

When I make it to the kitchen, Bookman is standing there and washing dishes in the sink. I suppose he heard me come in, because he turns around.

"Hello Allen. Do you mind if we talked a bit?" I gulp but nod. He dries his hands and sits on a stool that's by the island. He looks me up and down.

"I know you're going to ask me why I did that to Lavi." I nod and turn the heat off, plating my omelet and grabbing a fork.

"I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you, but he needed to study. I needed him to focus and get his training done. I never intended to come back here. One day Cross called me and said he was worried about your health, and said you were on the verge of being suicidal," I stopped stuffing my face for a moment and looked at him. _Master__ was worried about me? That's kind of touching... but definitely creepy. _"I was going to tell Lavi about you myself, but when I checked the history on his computer I realized he had already figured it out. When he told me he wanted to come back, I had already bought the plane tickets. So that's why we're here." I set my fork down and think for a few moments, letting my brain absorb all this new information.

Truth be told, I had considered suicide once or twice. I was sick of being disappointed, bullied, and most of all, not being able to see Lavi. I was tired of living. I guess Master noticed. He's more observant than I thought... though I have one question.

"Why did he call you?" I ask.

"Because it was obvious you missed that idiot. Plus, it doesn't hurt to see an old colleague once in a while" A hand gets placed on my shoulder, surprising me and making me jump.

"M-M-M-Master!" I squeak. He chuckles and grabs my empty plate, carrying it to the empty sink.

"You should go tame Kanda. He looks like he's going to murder Lavi, if his katana being pressed to his throat is anything to judge by.

Oh bloody hell. Kanda got Mugen out. Shit's gonna go down.

I rush out of the kitchen, following Lavi's very un-manly screams. **(Lawlz)** I ran out so fast, I didn't catch the rest of Master's conversation with Bookman.

"They really do love each other, don't they?" Master sighed.

"Yes. I doubt there was any way we could have kept them from each other." Bookman replied.

"Let's just see how long it takes them to understand their feelings and get together. Good thing we have Lenalee and Kanda on our side... That girl can come up with some devious plans." Cross smirked.

"Yes she can. We just need to set the first one in motion. You got the scissors?" Bookman stepped off the bar stool carefully.

"Yep. Time to cut holes in the air mattress." Cross grinned maniacally.

"Off to see the garage, then."

* * *

"Yip!" We all groaned.

"Shut up, Toto!" We all shout in unison. The little black dog growls and bites my ankles.

"That little bugger! Bloody hell Lenalee! Why does your dog hate me so much?" I jump onto my bed, away from the tiny terror. Lenalee shrugs and pushes her dog out of the room and shuts the door. She sprawls out on the bed next to me, flinging an arm over my waist.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You seem kind of crabby." She pulls the arm from around my waist and places it on my forehead. I roll my eyes and pull remove her hand.

"I'm fine. Having minor brain trauma and being a klutz will do that to you." Lavi sniggers.

"I'll say. I wasn't expecting to be woken up like _that_." Lenalee's eyes shine at Lavi's words.

"Like what?" She grins, looking at me, then Lavi, and back again.

"I woke up on the floor with the Moyashi on top of me." Lavi deadpans. Lenalee gapes at me, then slaps my shoulder.

"Allen! Nice move, tiger!" She giggles. I blush and wave my hands.

"No, NO! I tripped on something and fell! I have no idea why he was on the floor! I swear!" Kanda rolls his eyes.

"Sure, Moyashi. That's totally the reason." I throw my hands up in the air.

"It's the truth! And don't call me that! My name is Allen! I'm not short, you guys are just freakishly tall!" I rant, only causing Lenalee to laugh harder and Kanda to snort.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're a Moyashi." I jump off the bed and stomp to where Kanda is sitting at my desk, avoiding Lavi who is lying on the rug.

"Dammit, Kanda! How many times - " My sentence gets cut short as a loud shout comes from downstairs.

"LENALEE! MY DARLING SISTER, WHERE ARE YOU?" Lenalee instantly sobers up at the call from her brother.

"Komui! How many times did I tell you that I'd be spending today at Allen's?" She yells through the door. We hear footsteps from the stairs, and the door flies open. Komui grabs Lenalee and Kanda's hands, pulling them out of the room. Komui peeks his head back in the door and quickly saying his goodbyes and leaving. Lavi and I look at each other.

"What was that about?" We ask in unison, causing us to smile. Even after all these years, we still speak in unison. It feels good for our friendship to be fitting back into place.

"KOMUI! YOU RAT BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU AND YOUR DOG! IT RUINED MY COUCH!" Master roared from downstairs. Oh. That makes sense as to why he left so quickly... but why was he here in the first place?

"ALLEN! LAVI! COME DOWN HERE!" He yelled. We sweat-dropped. We're fucked.

I opened my door and quietly walked downstairs, peeking around the corner to see if Master was having a tantrum. He was. I quickly dodged a lamp he threw at me, bumping into Lavi and shoving him down the stairs leading to the basement.

He yelps and manages to grab onto the banister, his head inches from the steps. He hauls himself up and looks at me, blinking.

"What the hell was that about?" I sigh.

"Lamp." I point to the bits of metal that were once a perfectly good lamp. Lavi gives me a confused look, but walks past me. I spin around and cling to the back of his shirt, peering past him to see if Master has calmed down at all. He glares at us, but doesn't say anything. He points to the couch, my eyes following shortly after.

"That fucking dog peed on my couch. It is going to pay with it's life. Do you fucking realize how much that couch cost?" He glares at me.

"N-no sir!" I pull my head from Lavi's shoulder and bury my face in his back. He reaches back and pats my head.

"A lot of fucking money! Now I have to get the covers dry-cleaned..." He grumbles more things I can't make out.

"Oi, idiot apprentice. Looks like we'll be needing to find you a new bed, then. The air mattress has a bunch of holes in it." Bookman says, coming out of the hallway leading to the garage.

"We can look for one tomorrow. I don't feel like going anywhere today." Master huffs and Bookman nods. Lavi turns and looks at Bookman, pleading look in his eyes.

"Can I please borrow the van? I promise I won't blow anything up this time!" Wait... this time? What happened the last time?

"No. I'm not going to bail you out of prison again. That was a national monument! Do you realize how much that cost the organization?" Bookman said.

"Please, Jiji! I'll bring Allen with me! He'll keep me in line! Or should I say, lane? Heh... no...?" Lavi chuckled a bit at his own joke, his laughter dying out at the glares from all three of us.

"I had to buy a new car!"

"How did you mange that one, kid?"

"Why did you blow up a national monument?" We all said at the same time. Lavi pouted and walked to the stairs to our room.

"Fine. Be that way. But we are definitely getting an air mattress tomorrow!" He says while walking up the stairs. I sigh and follow him. Bookman grabs my arm.

"Hey, would you two mind leaving for a while? Cross and I have some things to discuss." I nod and grab my pack from the closet.

"Hey, Lavi! Come down here! I wanna show you something!" I call up the stairs. After a moment he walks down and looks at me.

"What? I don't see anything." I grin.

"Ever heard of a place called backspace?" He shakes his head.

"Come on then!" I grab his arm and pull him out the door, calling a cab.

Hopefully some good old first person shooters will make him feel a bit better about having to sleep with me.

Wait. That came out wrong... GAH. Forget I said anything.

* * *

**Holy flying fuck. What is it with spiders crawling near my face? Seriously? My arachnophobia isn't enough? You have to rappel down the wall right in front of me? What is with that? Two in the past ten minutes! They have made a pact against me, I say!**


	9. Nerdvana

**Hello again everyone! I hate spiders even more. I was sitting in bed, watching anime on my laptop when a spider crawled on the screen, at the exact moment a moth landed on the screen too. I'm not shitting you. This actually happened. FML. The spiders are. Why couldn't we have followed the butterflies? I must be a Weasley. *looks at reddish orange and pink hair, then at yearbook* Ayu thinks so too. Anyways, I'm really sorry about not updating sooner! I had a bout of writers block. Hope you like!**

**Acknowledgements: Thanks to everyone that read and reviewed and all that stuff! I appreciate it. It makes me happy. :3 I lurv you guys!**

**Ninja readers: You know who you are. The ones that read and follow the story but don't review. Thankies! I lurvs you guys! I'm glad you enjoy the story! Keep reading please~**

**DKK: I'm glad I made you laugh…? Though don't scare Stormy too much. Poor kitty~ Not that she isn't used to it by now. :P Thankies! Hope you like this one!**

**Mukuro234: Thankies! I meant for it to be a little unbelievable… because it is. You shall see what I mean by that.**

**Hanashi o suru: I try. Here's an update!**

**Origami Lotus: Thankies! Shh! Don't tell anyone! XD Indeed it has. I actually changed the name of the chapter to 'food for plot'… god I'm such a dork. XDDD**

**0Book0Worm0: I'm glad you do. I think most people probably just skip them. XD Thank you, one word: arachnophobia, and indeed it is. Hello Panda is pretty good too. I think one of them has a knife, though. XD I've done it myself many times. They do indeed. Allen has a forgiving nature… so I guess they picked up where they left off. You'll be seeing more of that in the next chapter. Allen has him. Lavi'll be getting him back soon, though. I guess. Maybe? IDK. I just sorta let this story do its thing, so I actually have no idea how long it'll be. Do most people do that? XD Indeed. Never go in a car with Lavi. There's a reason they used carriages in DGM. Semi-drunk? When did that happen? XD Eh… what? I be confuzzled. They shall. Kumori and Haley end up being related to one of the important characters… And Sofie, Skyla, and Aelita go to Allen's workplace a lot/work with him, so they'll be there. Plus Skyla, Aelita, and Sofie make in appearance in this chapter. I guess they are kinda cracktastic… XD I ramble all the time. *points at response to review* as you can see. Here's the update~ Indeed they do. Though I don't think I've encountered any fanboys… at least, not that I can tell. **

**sunfeil: Here's that update! I'm glad you have. It means I'm doing this whole author thing right, right?**

**Roxas-Chan: I realized ff fucked your name up. Sorry about that… So Roxas-Chan it is.**

**Firefly: I do indeed live in Portland. Why do you want to know, if I may ask? Do you live here too? Lots of people do, apparently. I've read so many fanfics that are set in Portland. XD Guess it's just a popular city. In surveys, people were more afraid of spiders than death. Skyla and Sofie? Well, that's to be expected. Those two are based off of me and DKK, who is my RL bff. I've no idea what the term would be. Here's the update!**

**Guest: BakAlois? Is that you? Besides you and DKK, the entire internet knows. Stupid~ But you mean like, friend-wise? Eh, you, DKK, and my friend Hannah. The one with the curly hair.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own D. Gray-Man. If I did, Lenalee would have not been so important, and Lavi would have been the main character. Plus it would have actually made some form of sense. And not have been the exact same arc over and over and over. Not that I'm complaining or anything…**

**Warnings: Virtual violence, swearing, and a teaspoon of yuri. Guess who's back~**

**The usernames I use for all of them are real, except for Allen and Lavi. Mine is sesame2009, DKK's is deaththekidkat, my stepmom's is spacerabbit, and my dad's is papagede. I usually play on the CLANWOOF server (west coast stuffz), but I haven't been on in forever. All the computers I have access to are either dinky or decrepit. If you see my stepmom or dad, please don't say anything. They have no idea what any of this is, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. If you see me, feel free to chat! I love talking with people. IDK about DKK though. You'd have to ask her if it was okay. Hope to see you all in the tf2verse! Backspace does actually exist. I love it. It's a really cool place to just chill and kill some people. Or just drink something and listen to some shitty bands. Some of them are good… I guess. Portland is a fun place to live. Glow in the dark pirate minigolf in the basement of a hotel is fun. Plus all the awesome hobos everywhere. It's really funny when I go back to the place my mom lives after being in downtown, because in DT I look normal with my crazy hair and ear piercings, but when I go back to the 'burbs people look at me like I need to go to a mental institution. Aberzombies. Psh.**

* * *

_"Ever heard of a place called backspace?" He shakes his head._

_"Come on then!" I grab his arm and pull him out the door, calling a cab._

_Hopefully some good old first person shooters will make him feel a bit better about having to sleep with me._

_Wait. That came out wrong... GAH. Forget I said anything._

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

There's nothing like a cab ride with the worst cabbie in the entire universe to bring two people together.

Literally.

This guy didn't give us enough time to put our seatbelts on before we were off. I think we're lucky the doors managed to get closed. Otherwise I would have been flung out long before now.

After taking a few turns on only two wheels, I was ready to get out of that death trap.

SCREECH! Flung onto Lavi's lap.

CR-CRUNCH! Flung face-first into the door.

KERBLAM! Stopped neatly in front of backspace with the door open.

I almost would have rather had Lavi driving the car. I wonder how either of them got their licenses.

I shuffle out of the insufferable hunk of metal and fall on the curb, gasping for breath and lying down, thankful to have something solid and stable beneath my feet again.

"Holy fuck the cabbies in this town are bat-shit crazy." Lavi took the words out of my mouth.

"Welcome to Portland. Keep it weird." Is all I say. Lavi pulls me up, giving me a skeptical look.

"Didn't Austin have that saying first?" I shrug and pay the cabbie, whose name I make sure to memorize. Don't want to have him picking me up again. Gozu. What an odd name. **(I checked. That **_**is**_** how you spell it.)**

"Gee, thanks mister! Hope you had a nice ride!" He speeds off, going who-knows-where.

"Well, what exactly is backspace?" Lavi asks. I point towards the doorway.

"Nerdvana. In the front it's a coffee shop with a stage for local bands to play, but in the back it has a bunch of computers with just about every game known to man. AKA, my favorite place to hang out." He opens the door, and we are instantly assaulted with extremely loud crappy metal. I grin widely.

"Hey, Steve! Got any computers open in the back?" I shout to the man behind the counter. It's really fucking loud in there. Since when did they start doing shows so early?

"Yeah, we got one. But you can borrow my laptop if your friend wants to play." He yells over the ruckus of off-tune guitars and overpowering drums. God damn, are these people deaf? If they are, it's a good thing. This band is really horrible.

"Thanks! I'll take you up on that offer." He nods and reaches below the counter, pulling out a shiny black laptop.

"You know the password, right?" He asks. I nod, grabbing the black laptop.

"Thanks again, Stevie!" I call, walking towards the back room. It's more like a back nook. It's got six computers, but two of them aren't working right now. We really need to find a new moderator for this place. Old town computers got their own place, so no one fixes the computers anymore. It should be easy to fix. One of them just needs a new sound card and it's ready to go. The other has some more serious problems, but again, it should be fairly easy.

As Lavi untangles himself from the Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling, I point towards two doors.

"Those are the bathrooms. If you have a sharpie, you should write something on the walls. Lots of people have done it. It actually looks really cool." I say to him. He nods and peeks inside.

"Wow, people really–" He gets cut off as someone from the game room shrieks.

"DIE! DIE, YOU BLUE TEAM SWINE! I SHALL MURDER YOU WITH MY ALMIGHTY FLAMEYNESS! MWA-HA-HA-HA!"

"God dammit, Sofie! Shut up! There's a band playing!" Wait… Sofie? No. It couldn't be. There are a lot of Sofie's in Portland… right?

I peek inside, and I see three people I was not expecting. Skyla, Aelita, and Sofie. Yay me. Skyla looks extremely focused, her mouse clicking rapidly and her fingers flying across the keyboard. Sofie is the complete opposite. She is sitting in her chair, looking absolutely insane with a homicidal glint in her eyes. Aelita is leaning back in her chair, sipping a cup of coffee and watching her screen. She suddenly leans over and presses a button on Skyla's keyboard, making said girl jump in her chair.

"What the hell, Ai?" She growls. Aelita smirks.

"Sorry for saving your life. A spy was about to backstab you." Skyla grins and pecks Aelita on the cheek.

"Thanks, then." She turns back to her screen, sighing.

"I guess it doesn't matter. Some demo blew me up anyways. I'm gonna get something to drink." She pushes away from the table, nearly running into me.

"Gah, what the fnick? Oh, Allen? What?" She has a confused look in her eyes as she stares up at me from her spinney chair.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"Same as you. To play a little tf2." I respond, amusement coloring my voice. A wide smile stretches across her face.

"Really? You'll have to join our server then! Aelita will set you up. I'm gonna go get an izze." She stands up and sashays past me, causing Aelita to chuckle.

"What is it about murdering people that makes her so giggly?" Lavi shrugs and makes his way to a chair.

"No, wait! Don't!" Aelita and I say in unison, but it's already too late. He sat down in the chair of doom. Not that he was in it long, of course. He was sprawled out on his back in less than a second.

"What the hell was that? The chair tried to fucking kill me! I think I got a bruise!" He whines, looking at his elbow. At that precise moment, Skyla shimmies into the room. She looks at Lavi, to me, to Aelita, then to me, then back to Lavi.

"What did I miss?" Aelita cackles while I try to smother my laughter with my hand.

"Nothing, nothing. Lavi sat down in 'the chair'." Skyla giggled and sat back down in her chair, gliding across to the last unoccupied computer. Her fingers were a blur over the keyboard, and before I knew it, she was directly in front of me.

"Can you hand me the laptop? The other computer is already on steam. You need to login with your account, though." She holds out her hands, in which I place the laptop.

"Thanks, Skyla. I'll be using the laptop, and my account is Crown_Clown. I'll put in the password." Her eyes light up when I say my username.

"You're Crown_Clown? Really? I had no idea. I'm sesame2009, Sofie is DeathTheKidKat and Aelita is spacerabbit. We play together on the same server all the time!" I raise my eyebrows.

"That's you guys? Seriously? I had no idea. I'll have to be careful. You guys are really good." Skyla smirks at me.

"Only if you're on blue team. Then you'll have to be careful. All of us are on red. I'm a sniper, Sofie's a pyro and Ai's a scout." **(Badum ch. *cues DKK's and PBS' laughter*)** She grins and turns, kicking Lavi in the head.

"Whoops, sorry! Didn't realize you were still lying on the floor like an idiot~" She giggled and slid past him, setting the laptop on an empty space on the counter. Lavi groaned and sat up, glaring at the chair of death.

"Seriously, what is with that chair? It tried to murder me." Aelita pushed away from the desk and pointed to the bottom.

"Look here, see? It's missing a wheel. If you aren't careful, you'll fall out. Someone really should throw it out or fix it…" She mumbled the last bit. Skyla let out a squeak and slid back to the unoccupied computer.

"So Lavi, do you have a steam account?" She asked, looking pointedly at him. He nodded.

"I got it from here." She nodded and slid back to her place.

"Ah, crap! They pulled me out! And there aren't any more spots on the red team!" She growled in frustration. Aelita laughed.

"Guess we're just gonna have to be on different teams then." Skyla pouted at Sofie's words.

"But I don't wanna. I don't like killing you guys." Aelita raised an eyebrow.

"Who says you'll be the one doing the killing?" Sofie asked. Skyla rolled her eyes.

"Well, for one, you are a defense pyro. You mostly stay on your base's side. Ai's a scout, so she has a chance at killing me, but she usually takes the sewer route. I stay up on the sniper nest or on the ground floor, so she most likely won't come into contact with me. I murder from afar. I leave the melee combat to you guys. Though I can hold my own with jarate and my bushwacka. Oh! And even if you try to throw a fireball at me, I can always dodge it or put it out with jarate." Aelita sighed.

"No arguing with that logic." Sofie nodded.

"You make it sound like you can't be killed." I mutter. She turns around and grins at me.

"Not true. I've been killed how many times this server…?" She trailed off and looked at the stats. "Thirty-two times. And we're only, what, an hour and a half into the server limit?" She rubbed her chin. Aelita rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. She's killable. Enough info?" Lavi smirked.

"I am so ready to murder you all." Sofie laughed like a maniac.

"Oh, we shall see!" Skyla laughed and Aelita facepalmed.

"Enough chit-chat, let's get onto the game." Skyla grinned widely at Aelita's suggestion, clicking on the blu team.

"! SPARKLES!" Sofie shouted. Skyla and Aelita laughed, as though they were used to this. Lavi and I glanced at each other, shrugging and booting up tf2. In no time we were off in la la land. As long as la la land included a lot of blood and profanities, of course.

I had chosen to be a medic, while Lavi was a soldier. I must say, he was pretty damn good at rocket jumping. Skyla, Lavi and I were all on a team, so Aelita began complaining that it was unfair because our team had more people that she knew on it. Skyla shrugged.

"Maybe my dad'll come on. He usually gets off work and goes home to his chicken shit house to play video games." She had a look of disgust on her face when she said that, which I noticed out of the corner of my eye. Aelita froze and turned to her.

"What did he do this time?" She asked, her calm tone of voice must have been masking cold fury, because she seemed to be radiating anger. Skyla heaved a deep sigh and looked across me to where Aelita was sitting.

"He… well… it was Stone. She… kind of…" She trailed off and began gesturing with her hands. Aelita must have understood what she was trying to say, because she immediately came around me and had her arms wrapped around Skyla with her head resting on Skyla's shoulder.

"I am so sorry. You can stay at my place, if you want. You shouldn't go back there." Sofie must have noticed all this going on, because she too came up and hugged Skyla.

"It's gonna be okay. I'll come over too, and it'll be like a big sleepover. You can just get him off your mind. It's gonna be okay." Skyla smiled sadly and pushed them off.

"Thanks, guys. I really didn't know what I was gonna do… Rebecca is really crazy and hates me, and since mom is in Africa with Paul I can't stay at my place… You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for. Do you think Gracie and Luke **(That would be you, BakAlois.)** could come too?" Aelita grinned.

"Sure. I'll call them now." Aelita excused herself from the table and went outside. Skyla smiled a bit and got up too. Lavi and I hadn't been paying attention to the game for quite some time, so we were now spectators.

"What was that about?" Lavi asked Sofie. She bit her lip and glanced down.

"I'm not sure I should tell you… I'll leave the whole story for her to tell, but basically her dad's an asshole that broke up with her mom when she was really little and fell in love with some crazy chic that hates her. Classic evil stepmother, right there. Anyways, her mom recently got married to her stepdad, Paul, and they're off honeymooning in Africa. She's been forced to stay with her dad this time, and he really fucked up. I'm not exactly sure about the details, but she's been off all day. This one really bugged her. Don't get me wrong, her dad's a nice guy, but he's kind of… childish? I don't know. He's not ready to be a father, I can tell you that much. Plus, her stepbrother died a few months ago and her granny is really sick, so she's been kind of depressed. The thing with her brother is getting a bit better, but she really misses him. And she's really scared her granny is going to die, so that's really stressful for her. In my opinion, I think she should cut all ties with her father. He's had enough chances, and he's really messed up her life." Lavi and I stood (more like sat) there dumbfounded. Skyla had all this going on in her life and no one knew it? She acted so happy all the time… it didn't make sense. It's not like she could just flip a switch and be happy… could she?

"Hmm. Way to spill the beans, Sofie." Skyla muttered from the doorway. Sofie shrugged.

"I didn't give details, and they needed to know. If they're gonna be our friends, they should at least know about the shit going on in our lives." That didn't make much sense to me, but I nodded anyways.

"Whatever. You guys know now. I'm dealing with it, don't worry about me. I'm okay. As my mother would say, there's a reason I'm in counseling." Sofie started laughing at that. I think I saw a tear form in her eyes.

"Oh god - *wheeze* - I remember that! - *giggle* - was the cucumber okay?" Skyla mock gasped.

"How could you forget about the cucumber? Remember! Hanna beat me with it and it broke in two! And you guys broke my couch! How could you not remember that?" Sofie laughed harder while Skyla pouted and slid into her seat. I raised an eyebrow. _These people are insane. What about a cucumber?_ Skyla must have read my mind, because she turned to me and laughed lightly.

"Long story, but basically a bunch of people came over to watch BBC Sherlock season two episode three and I was the only one that didn't cry. Everyone teased me about it, and called me an unemotional rock. I asked my mom if it was true, as a joke, and she responded with 'Honey, there's a reason you're in counseling.' Now you know where my sense of humor comes from. Anyway, my friend Hanna proceeded to take the English cucumber my mom bought and beat me with it. All in all, that was a very… interesting night." Aelita chuckled when she came back in.

"Yeah, I remember that. We had a lot of fun, though. Even if you did get bruises form the cucumber." Skyla rolled her eyes and started packing her things up.

"Where are you going? Oh, Gracie and Luke can come. They'll be at the house around six." Skyla nodded and shut off the computer.

"I'm just gonna grab some things from my mom's place. Clothes, toothbrush, things like that." Aelita nodded and started packing her things up as well. Skyla raised an eyebrow.

"You know you don't have to come with me. I'm taking a taxi, so there's nothing to worry about." Aelita poked Skyla in the neck, causing said girl to give an animalistic snarl and bat the offending appendage away. Lavi raises an eyebrow at the exchange. Skyla's eyes widen and she begins to apologize profusely, turning a bright crimson.

"Dude, it's fine. I shouldn't have done that, anyway. I know you don't like it." Aelita shrugged it off, then turned to Lavi and I. "She doesn't like her neck being touched." Was her simple explanation.

"That's the understatement of the century." Sofie chimed in, standing up and swinging around and nearly hitting Lavi in the face with her shoulder bag. "She gets an evil gleam in her eye if you touch her neck. I, for one, believe it's simply because she's watched too many zombie movies. Cliché spot for them to go for, if you ask me. Plus, without proper medical attention, they bleed out pretty fast. No fun." Sofie stuck her tongue out at the last part.

"Go log us out, would you? We'll meet you in a sec." Sofie nodded.

"Sure, I'll be outside." And with that, she disappeared. Aelita turned to us.

"Do you guys wanna come along? You can sleep in one of our guest rooms, if you want." Lavi grinned so wide, I thought his face might split in half.

"Allen and I wouldn't have to share a bed, right?" Aelita looked at him in confusion.

"Uhh… maybe? It depends on who's staying the night. We've got two guest rooms. If Gracie and Luke spend the night, then you'll be forced to sleep on the futon-couch-thing." Lavi cheered.

"Awesome! We'll take you up on that! We should grab our stuff, but we'll be at your place around five. Sound good?" He asked. Aelita shrugged.

"Sure. Here's my address." She handed us a slip of paper.

"See you guys then!" Lavi jumped up, pulling me out the door.

Guess we're gonna meet Aelita's family.

* * *

**Again, I am so sorry that I didn't update for so long. I had writers block, so I couldn't write. D: But I made the chapter longer, so that's my apology for making all of you wait for so long. Hope you liked it!**

**IMPORTANT NOTE! PLEASE READ!**

**I'm going to Texas from August 4th-August 22nd. I'll try and update as much as I can, but I make no promises. It's gonna be really tough, because I'm going to be learning a bunch of new stuff while I'm there. I'm not going to be getting this story done by the end of summer like I was expecting, so it'll go on for a while. I'll try to post once or twice a week, I'll crank out a schedule at some point. You guys'll know soon enough. Sorry! I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	10. Realization

**Holy fudge popsicles, guys. So many reviews. I feel loved. 60+. *cries tears of joy* You guys are the best.**

**I've begun responding to reviews through PM's. I hate having to wait to respond because chapters are becoming a bit irregular nowadays. They probably will be for a while, and this story is going to be longer than expected, yadda yadda yadda.**

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a month! I went to Texas, so things got crazy, but then I went to Kumoricon last weekend and things were even crazier! So, to apologize for my inexcusable absence, I have made this chapter with two POV's in it, and one is my own, (Skyla) so it was easy to write. Serious chapter right here, guys. Big realization on Allen's part, since he's such a dummy when it comes to how he feels. Thank Skyla and her way with words for that one!**

**I'm back, so updates should be coming a bit more regularly, though school has started and I'm working my butt off to finish a Roppi and Delic cosplay (any durarara! Fans out there?) so it might not come as often as you'd like. And for those that read Mercury, an update should be coming this week. For those of you that haven't read it, you might wanna check it out. It's… IDK. I'm tired. For starters, it's rated M. If that's not your thing, keep reading this one! It shall remain T and fluffy! For the most part. There's some tragedy in it… *smirks and cackles evilly***

**To those I could not respond to, and the ninja readers:**

**Origami Lotus: It terrified me. Holy fricken chicken, a wasp? My mom once had a wasp fly down her shirt and sting her sides/back 27 times. And my granny sat on a bee. That was funny to watch. XD They actually are. I might take a few pictures next time I go there… probably not for a few months. I'm not exactly on speaking terms with the person who takes me there. *coughs*my asshole father*coughs* It's basically one big epic ball of shenanigans. Basically, when you walk in, directly in front of you is a counter with a bunch of yummy food, and they have a kitchen somewhere, so you can get really yummy sandwiches and stuff. I recommend the smoked ham and cheddar. *drools* though the food carts around town are really awesome too. I once went to a food cart and got a deep-fried Munster cheese sandwich. It was basically a heart attack in sandwich form, but it was damn good. Back on topic, on your right there's a mini seating area with _extremely_ comfy couches and chairs and a stage. Diagonal to you in what can only be described as a huge amount of space, like a converted warehouse size, is a million tables and chairs with a small ring of computers. They also have a bar. Then, you go down a little hallway (they have two that basically go to the same place) to the 'computer area', dubbed the gaming room. The story about the chair is true, there is one like that there. The bathrooms are like what I described them as, and a lot of the computers are pretty messed up and require the assistance of a mod. Pretty epic place, if I do say so myself.**

**Ninja readers: thanks for your support, hope you like the chapter!**

**My foot is twitching. WTF.**

* * *

_"Awesome! We'll take you up on that! We should grab our stuff, but we'll be at your place around five. Sound good?" He asked. Aelita shrugged._

_"Sure. Here's my address." She handed us a slip of paper._

_"See you guys then!" Lavi jumped up, pulling me out the door._

Guess we're gonna meet Aelita's family.

* * *

. :Allen POV: .

"Wow, that was awesome. This is the best genre known to man."

"No way, the comedy totally ruins what should be a tense atmosphere."

"Lies, it enhances the story and makes it more fun to watch. My granny laughed so hard when she watched this, she had to hold her chest together."

"That's only because she had a chest wound and it would have split open and spilled her guts everywhere if she didn't."

"Touché, but my point still stands. This movie is epic as fuck."

I had been listening to Skyla and Luke argue for too long. Far too long. They were having a dispute about this movie called 'Tucker and Dale vs. evil'. I had to agree with Skyla, it was pretty cool. Horror comedy is my favorite genre too.

I suppose I should probably back up a few steps. Lavi and I went back to the house and packed our stuff for the night at Aelita's. We arrived at her place at five, so we went in and hung out. An hour later there was a knock on the door, and Skyla jumped up to get it. When I reached the door, Skyla and Sofie had tackled a short Asian girl to the ground. Skyla had her arms circled around her shoulders and her head on the girl's chest, laughing uncontrollably, while Sofie was straddling her waist and holding what I assume to be the girl's glasses above her head.

Aelita and the other girl who came with 'Asian chick' watched the scene unfold with minor amusement. The girl next to Aelita held her hand out to me and smiled politely.

"My name is Gracia, but people call me Gracie. That's Lillian, but she hates her name, so people call her Luke." I shook her hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Does this usually happen?" I asked. Aelita chuckled and answered.

"You kiddin'? They're always at each others throats. Recently Sofie and Skyla have been suspiciously pleasant with each other. It's always friendly. Quite entertaining, actually. We've been kicked out of the library quite a few times 'cuz they won't stop messin' around." Skyla shot up and clung onto Aelita's legs.

"'You younguns, get off the chandelier!' 'Hey you wackos, stop roughhousing!' 'Crazy tikes, get off that computer if you know what's good for ya!'" Sofie cackled at Skyla's impression of the librarian's voice.

"The chandelier was fun. Remember that guy who got hit by all the ping pong balls, though? Man, he was pissed. Threatened us with his katana for that." Lavi and I looked at each other with horror masking our features. Fuck. These were the psychos that put some kind of trigger to drop a bunch of ping pong balls on an unsuspecting target. Three guesses who that person is? The first two don't count.

Kanda.

We're fucked. Or they are, at least.

Kanda was really touchy for a week after that. Can tell you it was not good for my furniture. Mugen is really damn sharp… it cut my couch in half.

Anyways, back to the topic. After a few spats and arguments, everyone ended up in the family room, which was basically a mini-theater.

"Skyla picks the movie!" Sofie shouted. Skyla beamed.

"This one!" She pulled the wii remote across the screen and clicked on a movie. Aelita jumped up and flicked her on the forehead.

"Hold on, lemme go get the cop porn." Skyla giggled and paused the movie.

"'kay." Aelita dashed out of the room, leaving me blushing and Lavi looking confused.

"Cop porn?" He asked, causing all the girls to laugh.

"Long story, basically a while ago one of us accidentally called pop corn cop porn, and that name just sort of stuck." Gracie explained. My blush receded a bit, only to have it come back full force when Lavi shifted on the couch and decided to use my lap for a pillow.

"Err… L-Lavi? What are y-you doing?" I stuttered. He shrugged and buried his face into my leg.

"Mtr'd." He mumbled. Luke poked his side.

"Speak up. We don't have Vulcan hearing." He groaned and pulled his head away from his makeshift pillow.

"I'm tired~ now lemme sleep. Couches are hell for your spine." He whined, and Skyla turned around.

"Want me to give you a massage? My mom used to go to massage school, and she taught me things. While most kids grew up coloring mermaids and giraffes, I grew up coloring different muscles in anatomy books. Plus, I'm really good at it." She grinned. Lavi shrugged again.

"Fine. Do whatever you want." Skyla reached over and pulled a bottle of hand cream from a coffee table I didn't realize was there. She must have seen my confusion, because her grin widened.

"I give massages a lot." She turned to Lavi and jabbed a finger in his face. "Take off your shirt. I need to have access to your skin. Don't worry, I'm already dating someone. They'd kill me if I placed my hands wrong." Skyla held up her hands in a calming manner.

"Damn straight they would." Aelita declared, walking back into the room with two bowls of popcorn. Luke groaned and grabbed Skyla's ankles, making her trip onto Lavi's back.

"When are you gonna tell us who this mystery chic is? The only clues we have are: she's a girl, (Gracie muttered: no really? To that statement, earning a glare from Luke) we know her, she goes to our school, and she's funny. Do you know who this girl could be, Mo~ya~shi?" She drawled. I glared at her for the use of my nickname, firing back a response.

"Stop calling me that, I'm half a foot taller than you. It's illogical. And I already know who this 'mystery chic' is." I added air quotes to the mystery chic part for emphasis. Luke's eyes widen comically, and she turns to Skyla.

"You told the Moyashi (a glare) but not me? Oh Skyla, you wound me so!" Luke clutched her heart in mock anger and sadness. Skyla rolled her eyes.

"Oh, go fly a kite." She pulled Lavi's shirt off and rubbed some lotion on his back. She wrinkled her nose.

"You seriously should put lotion on your back more often. It's all flaky and gross." Lavi waved his hand in a dismissive manner, having settled back into a more comfortable position. Currently, I was leaning against the left arm of the couch with Lavi's head in my lap. Skyla was hovering over Lavi's back, rubbing and kneading in different spots. Lavi had his feet in Aelita's lap, who was sitting on the right side of the couch. Luke was sprawled about haphazardly on the floor, no rhyme or reason to the direction of her limbs. Damned hypocritical hyperactive double-jointed monkey demon spawn. Sofie was… nowhere to be found. That's not a good sign. No wait, she said something about going to the bathroom. Gracie was sitting on the floor, working carefully on a friendship bracelet that was pinned to her jeans.

Now that I think about it… Skyla has a bunch of those bracelets on her wrists. As if she read my mind, she pulled her right hand off Lavi's back and held it in front of my eyes. She waved it slightly before going back to work, pulling on Lavi's skin in a fairly complicated technique called skin rolling.

"See those bracelets? It's Gracie's tradition to make one when something bad happens in our lives. I've got… let's see… nine? Ten? I dunno. Lot's of shit went down over the past coupl'a years. The root of all evil started just before I was born. That's another story for another day, though. You should let someone else tell you, though. I'm a bit busy right now." She was dragging her thumbs across Lavi's shoulders, causing him to groan in pain.

"Fuck, woman. Can't you see-" He was cut off by Sofie's fist connecting with Skyla's shoulder, knocking her onto Luke's stomach. She then proceeded to shove me onto the floor, Lavi coming down with me. Luke, Skyla, Lavi and I all ended up in one huge pile, appendages bruised and pointed out from all directions, like a huge snowball with sticks in it.

"Start the movie already. Stop yapping, and Lavi, get a room." She flung herself onto the couch, grabbing the remote and pressing play. Lavi looked at her dumbfounded.

"There's nothing going on between me and Skyla." He stated, causing Sofie to roll her eyes.

"No sh-duh, Sherlock. I was talking about the Moyashi." I was too stunned to get angry about my nickname. Then I blushed, along with Skyla and Lavi. Aelita and Luke started laughing, while Gracie just shook her head.

"Sofie, just how much candy have you had?" Sofie seemed to contemplate this, holding up her hands and counting on her fingers.

"Well, this morning I had fruit loops, (insert dramatic groan) and you guys know what those do to me. Then I had a donut, some ice cream, three sodas, four cookies, the last of my Halloween candy, and I think 1/3 of my huge rice crispy treat." Gracie smiled lightly at this.

"Lavi, Allen, don't take anything she says seriously, she gets kinda delusional when she's had too much caffeine and sugar. Wait about an hour, she'll pass out. Trust me." Aelita explained. I pressed my hands to my eyes, I was so embarrassed. Lavi and I are just friends! Why can't these girls get that through their thick skulls?!

Skyla placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Allen? Could I talk to you for a minute?" She whispered in my ear. I peeked through my fingers and nodded, tentatively. She gave and encouraging smile, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door. Aelita and Lavi shot a confused glance towards us, but Skyla mouthed something I couldn't make out and Aelita smiled.

"We're gonna start the movie without you guys!" Luke shouted, and Skyla made a face.

"Okay, but we're gonna restart it when I get back!" She replied. I heard some curses being tossed at us from the other room, but I couldn't understand it very well because Skyla pulled me out the back door and into a garden before I could blink. We weaved through bushes and trees until we came to a small pond with a stream running towards the woods. She stopped and smiled at me, waving me forward.

"Come meet Eridan and Fefferi… My cute little fishies." She leaned down and poked the surface of the pond. I looked down and saw two koi fish, both with strange markings and color.

"I come here when I need to think. Isn't it nice?" She leaned back and looked at the sky, which was a nice shade of blue without a single cloud marring its endless canvas.

"You're probably wondering why I brought you here." She looked at me and I nodded.

"There's a few things, the main one being that I know." I raised an eyebrow.

"… Know what, exactly?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.

"That you like Lavi, and don't try to deny it, I'm perceptive and you don't exactly hide it very well, no offense." I stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Uhh… I don't know what you've got through your head, but I don't like Lavi. Really. We're just friends… I'm serious." She smirked.

"But is that all you want to be? I know what happened… Between you and him. Bookman and Cross are acquaintances of mine, and before you ask, it's a long story. Anyways, I'm up to speed with what's happened. I get that he's your friend, but if you only felt friendship for him, do you really think you'd have been waiting all these years? Most people would have given up and forgotten. But you… you waited. Why do you think you did that?" I shook my head.

"He was my best friend for as long as I can remember. I couldn't just give up... He was too important. He was the one thing in my life I couldn't bear to lose, after Mana died. He was the only person that could put a genuine smile on my face." Skyla closed her eyes and looked up at the sky again.

"You know, you might not have understood it at the time, you can't really grasp it now, from what you're telling me, but you seem to really care about him. You'd trust him with your life. Am I right?" I nodded.

"So let me ask you something. Say he got a girlfriend," She turned her head towards me and continued.

"And say he didn't talk to you about it beforehand. How would you feel?" I rubbed my left hand.

"Well… I'd feel betrayed. He's my best friend, so why wouldn't he ask for my opinion on her? If I thought about dating someone, he'd be the first person I went to. Why are you asking me this?" She ignored my question and went on.

"Now say he started dating a _guy_ without your input. How would you feel?" Her eyes twinkled with what could only ne mischief.

"Well, first of all, I'd be extremely surprised. He's straight as a stick," before I could continue, she reached over me and ripped a small branch off a tree.

"Well, look at this. Does this stick look straight to you? I think it looks rather curved…" She pulled on one end of the stick for effect. I rolled my eyes.

"So, what, you're saying he's gay?" She stuck her tongue out.

"I never said that, and no, he's not gay, but he's not straight either." Realization dawned on me.

"He's bi?" She smirked again.

"Ah, cheers. The little Moyashi got it right." I flicked her forehead.

"Stupid, we're the same height." She looked outraged.

"Nuh uh! I'm an inch taller than you! I can prove it when we get back to the house. Anyway, back on topic. Lavi's bi and got a boyfriend. How do you feel?" I rub my chin.

"Well… The same, I guess. Gender doesn't matter, right? But how can I know he's really bi? I mean, no offense, but I don't know you that well and neither does Lavi, so how could you know that for sure?" She heaved a dramatic sigh.

"Do you want me to explain my thought processes behind it or can I just remind you that I figured you out faster than you could blink?" I closed my eyes.

"I guess I'll take your word for it. You do seem… tuned in with things going on around you." I felt her stand up next to me.

"Why thank you. Now moving on. You feel betrayed, but is that all? This guy you barely know is taking up all your time with him, and Lavi doesn't even care. He only cares about how this guy feels. What now?" That… couldn't be. It just couldn't.

"Well… he wouldn't do that. I know he'd make time for just the two of us… it's always been that way. We've been first on each others lists forever." I said, my voice sounding confident.

"But what if that's changed? What if he really liked this guy, and wanted to be with him? If he meant more to Lavi than you do?" It's not possible. Lavi is my whole world… doesn't he feel the same?

"But… he means the world to me. I wouldn't let that happen… nothing can come between us… right?" I opened my eyes to see Skyla facing away.

"You never know. Things happen that we can't control, and it splits people apart. I'll admit you and Lavi have a strong bond, but it's not unbreakable. The life you've built for yourself rests upon sand, Allen. Lavi could pull away from you at any moment, and what would happen then? Your entire being would crumble. Could you really go through all that again?" I felt my heart sinking to someplace below my stomach.

"No… I couldn't. He's everything to me. You're right… If he left, I wouldn't be able to handle it." She turned towards me.

"So, now that you know you need him to keep breathing, what do you feel? What emotion do you think that is? To need someone by your side, just to go on?" She asked. I felt my mind go numb.

"… Love…" I whispered. She walked over and hugged me, pulling back and looking into my eyes.

"So now that you know you love him, and that you have a chance, what are you going to do?" She gave a reassuring smile to me, urging me to speak.

"I guess… I'll try and get him to feel that way about me too. If he loved me back… That's all I really need, right?" I said with confidence I didn't truly feel.

"Good. To be honest, I think your chances of getting him to love you back are pretty good. Now, let's go watch that movie, shall we?"

* * *

. : Skyla POV : .

As Allen and I walked back to the house, I was about ready to jump for joy. _My plan worked perfectly! I got Allen to realize his true feelings, and we're going to be watching a movie, so that gives him some time to stew over his thoughts… Lenalee will be so happy to hear our plan worked! Now I get to watch the yaoi unfold… _My fujoshi **(My computer corrected that to fajita. XDDDD Failcheck is fail.) **thoughts were interrupted by Luke screaming from the house. I smirked. Guess she realized I put mayo in her bucket of popcorn… heh.

"DAMMIT SKYLA! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" She screamed, making Allen jump while I simply cackled.

"Uhh… what did you do?" My smirk widened.

"Let's just say mayo and cop porn are some inside jokes of ours… ones you can work out for yourself." Allen blushed and hung his head, hiding his face with his bangs. I walked inside, stepping out of the way of the rampaging Chinese girl.

"Fuck, Skyla! That's not funny at all!" She screeched, trying to tackle me but missing. I ran over to Aelita, who had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard, and jumped in her arms.

"Ai-chan! Save me! BakAlois is trying to kill me!" I wailed dramatically, burying my head in her shoulder and pseudo-sobbing.

I whispered in her ear "Did it work?" She could only nod her head and laugh.

"You should've – god, her face! You should've seen it! Best – one yet!" She barked out between fits of giggles. I smirked into her neck and whispered again.

"It worked… now we just have to do the tricky part. Thank god we have Kanda on our side." I felt her set me down.

"Well, that's nice. Let's watch that movie, shall we?" She held out her hand and I grabbed it, pulling on Allen's elbow and into the living room where Sofie was poking Gracie and Lavi was passed out on the couch.

_Oh, yes. Now to stir up the drama… Allen's realized his feelings, but Lavi hasn't. Now to get Kanda to act the part of Allen's boyfriend. Nothing like a dash of jealousy to kick start a relationship! Yes… this little game of Lenalee's would be fun~_

* * *

**M'kay, so that's it for this chapter. Allen realized he loves Lavi ('bout damn time) and Skyla plans to get Kanda to act as Allen's boyfriend, in turn making Lavi jealous and admit his feelings. Heh, this is gonna be so much fun to write! Not what I had originally planned, but I quite like this idea. More… DRAMATIC! And it's still a Yullen?! Arc, so everybody wins!**

**Please review… they make updates come faster and make me happy! Again, I'm so sorry for not updating in forever! GOMEN! I hope you can forgive me!**


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